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| Warner Sallman's "Christ Our Pilot" |
Jesus, Savior, pilot me,
Over life's tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal;
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Jesus Savior, pilot me.
--Edward Hopper
This story that Robert Louis Stevenson delighted in telling of a ship tossed in a storm reminds me of my uncle skillfully piloting his mission boat past reefs and submerged mountain peaks rising from the sea floor:
The sea was rough, and the rocky coast perilous. Danger was real, and the seamen expected the worst. One frantic sailor, who was laboring below the waterline, could contain himself no longer. He rushed to the wheelhouse, closed the door behind him, and stood frozen with fright, watching the captain wrestle with the wheel that controlled the huge ship.
With skill of mind and strength of hand the captain guided the vessel through the threatening rocks into open water. Then the captain turned slightly, looked at the frightened sailor, and smiled.
The youth returned below deck. "The danger is over," he assured the crew.
"How do you know?" they asked.
"I have seen the face of the captain, and he smiled at me," he said.
Just as I trusted my uncle, I know I can trust Jesus to pilot me safely when the storms of life cause me to reel and stagger. I know that if I can but catch a glimpse of Jesus my Captain's face, all will be well. He can calm my storms with His whispered, "Peace, be still!" What a blessing to be able to trust Him to bring me safely into harbor!
What storm are you facing today? Jesus wants to give you His peace in the midst of your storm. Just turn the wheel of your life over to Him, and He will guide your vessel through the rocks and reefs, the wind and waves that threaten. Let Him plot your course. He knows the way because He has navigated it before us and has charted the way in His Word.
I discovered your blog because when I was a child my grandparents were missionaries in PNG. My grandfather was the skipper on a ship for the mission. One of my earliest memories was the image of the "Christ our Pilot" and it wasn't until tonight that I tried to Google the image based on the faint fragments of memories that I had of this image. I have a feeling it was printed on a card or something that I must of been given at some point. It gave me such a thrill to finally look again at this image after all these years. Thank you for posting this. Richard
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I was given a ship's wheel plaque with the same picture. I wonder if it was the exact item you mentioned. It might have been for Scripture memorization. I deconverted 4 years ago. Jesus was never behind me, he was just in my head. When realized I didn't have enough evidence to justify my belief, he just--'disappeared' isn't the right word; he never appeared in the first place-- moved from the category of "things that are most likely real" to "things for which we don't have enough evidence to believe are real". I've never been more happy and well adjusted since.
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