Sometimes when disaster looks imminent, we have to have faith.
Last week on our family vacation, during and early evening at a pier, we observed a huge ship which seemed to be coming right towards the dock. We weren’t standing on the pier at the time, but dozens of people were. They were fishing and talking and laughing, seemingly unconcerned with the giant ship headed right towards them.
My family watched in nervous amazement as the ship stayed on its course. Didn’t these people remember what happened with that cruise ship in Greece a few years back where the captain ran it aground?
There were so many sandbars in our area and the waters seemed so shallow. Was the captain of this ship awake? Was he impaired? I even sent some photos to my mama so she could show them to my daddy, who was a Navy man.
Weren’t those people on the docks the least bit worried about their safety? They didn’t appear to be. Then, at the last minute, (or so it seemed to me), it turned.
Of course, the people on the pier had seen these ships many times. They weren’t concerned because they knew from years of experience, that there would be no collision. The experienced captain of the ship knew exactly where the deep waters were and he knew exactly when and where to steer his ship to safety.
But, we didn’t know that.
As we continued to watch the ginormous ship head away from the pier, it seemed to get perilously close to a shrimp boat returning from a day of shrimping. We couldn’t see the smaller boat very well and we wondered if the captain of the big one could. Were the people on the shrimp boat worried about their safety?
We anxiously watched as the big vessel appeared to narrowly miss the smaller one.
The zoom lens on my camera provided a very detailed view of the shrimp boat.
When I returned home and looked at my pictures, I marveled at the details on the shrimp boat. I noticed the nets and all of the seagulls surrounding it hoping for a scrap. I saw that it even had a name. I couldn’t see all of that from a distance, but my zoom lens could.
I thought about that big ship for days afterwards. I thought about how it looked like it would crash into the pier, into those people, causing a disaster, but it didn’t. I thought about how it looked like it would collide with the shrimp boat causing tragedy, but it didn’t.
I thought about how faith teaches us that when tragedy seems imminent, like a huge ship headed straight for us, that we can trust that God has us covered, time and time again. We don’t need to worry or even flinch.
I thought about how even though I couldn’t see the details on the shrimp boat, they were there, which made me consider that God sees all of the details of our lives, every little one, with a giant zoom lens. He is completely aware of where we are and where we are going and it matters to Him.
Jesus said, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31
Having faith in difficult times can be hard. When we feel like a giant ship is headed straight for us, we wonder if God hears our prayers or even cares.
The answer is yes. He knows. He hears. He loves us. He cares.
Whatever your giant ship is, fear not. He’s got this. Perhaps you needed reminding today.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂