Dear Friend,

As a U.S. Coast Guardsman in the sixties, I was assigned to a Coast Guard Cutter where one of my responsibilities was a helmsman. My job was to steer the course the Captain ordered as straight and true as possible since being off just a couple of degrees could be dangerous for everyone aboard ship. But staying the course wasn’t always easy. Frequently, in a storm, the entire bow of the ship would be buried underneath the waves as they crashed onto the deck. It was important to keep the ship driving into the waves. But as difficult as it could be, the rough seas didn’t bother me as much as a dead calm sea. That may sound strange but it is true. There are a couple of reasons for it.

First, in rough seas, I was alert every second of my watch; completely focused on keeping the ship on course. Second, the rudder is designed to respond to the pressure of the water, so in stronger waters it is more responsive to the helm.

But in a dead sea, the helmsman tends to get bored and can be less attentive. Also, without the pressure against the rudder, the helm is loose and harder to control. The ship tends to drift. More than once I heard the deck officer tell me to watch my wake. It meant the crew was complaining of my crooked wake. So I preferred taking the helm in a rougher sea and leaving the dead calm sea to my colleagues.

We need the pressure of rough seas in life to help keep us on course. God said there would be rough times but He also said they would be good for us. They are needed to build spiritual maturity and character. It is in those times we are alert spiritually and focused on our trust in God. Those times aren’t easy but they are necessary. In the calm times, we tend to settle in and relax spiritually and it’s easy to drift and find ourselves living compromised lives. So don’t despise the tough times. They can be the best of our lives because we will become stronger Christians and better people because of them. Memorize this scripture from Proverbs 3:5, 6 and it will keep you focused.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Prayerfully,

Jerry K. Rose

P.S. I got a call from Annie, a long time viewer. She pointed out that the print has been too small for a lot of us to read and that it should be larger. She is right, so as of this month, it is larger. Let me know if this is better. Thanks Annie.