Imagine your life as a ship. You’re a small ship docked on the shore of Long Island, NY. Your life as a ship is all right. It’s safe. You always know you will have food to eat, water to drink, a place to stay, a pharmacy right down the road, friends docked among you, and family there to support you. But something is missing. You keep looking out to sea. Looking away from the beach and the shore; away from safety. What’s out there? What’s beyond the horizon? Something is calling you. One day you decide to explore. So, you travel outside the “safety” of the shore line. You see amazing new things, new fish, coral reefs, waves, birds, clouds and weather. Looking back at the shore that you ventured from, you now see your life differently. You have gained a new perspective, but as the sun begins to set you travel back to the shore, back to safety. As the days go by, your ship doesn’t set sail again for uncharted waters even though you long to experience more of the amazing things that you did before. One day, a fisherman comes to your shore where you are docked. He promises to show you more amazing things in uncharted waters. He wants to show you new animals, reefs, sunsets, shores, boats, etc. He wants to show you this plan that he has for your little ship, BUT you have to let him be the captain. You have to surrender your control of your ship and give it to him. Would you do it? Would you leave the safety and security that you have to experience uncharted waters?
I have given God control of my ship. Jesus is the captain of my ship. Jesus is the captain of my life. He is showing me where He wants me to go and I am following. My story is a lot like the ship in the harbor on Long Island, NY. I have lived my whole life in America, safe. I have always had a roof over my head, a fridge full of food, running water for showers, a family that loves me and friends that support me. I have always been “safe.” Last summer, I looked out to sea and went and explored uncharted waters. I went to Tanzania for 3 weeks and had my eyes opened. I experienced new people, foods, struggles, cultures and a new side of God. But, I returned back home to Wisconsin, back to the safety of the shore. I returned to high school and my “normal” life. Ever since being back here, I have longed for it again. I have longed for new cultures, missions, evangelism, radical miracles, and so much more. That same fisherman, Jesus, came to my ship and He asked if He could be the captain. And I said, “YES!”
Jesus, my captain, my soul’s trusted Lord.
Through waters uncharted my soul will embark
I’ll follow Your voice straight into the dark
And if from the course You intend
I depart
Speak to the sails of my wandering heart
Like the wind
You’ll guide
Clear the skies before me
And I’ll glide this open sea
Like the stars
Your Word
Will align my voyage
And remind me where I’ve been
And where I am going
This is part of the song “Captain,” by Hillsong United, an amazing worship band. God has really been showing me it is oh so worth it to let Him be the captain of my life. I hope that my life and lives of my teammates can be a living testament to a life centered on fully following Christ. Many people ask me if I am scared and, honestly, not really. God is so much bigger than any worry I could have. Jesus already conquered the world so what could I possibly fear that He could not take care of? Nothing. These verses from Matthew 6:25-34 have been such an encouragement and reminder of the amazing and all powerful God that we serve.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I wrote this blog to try and explain what it’s like to let Jesus be the captain of your life and to not fear. He leads you on crazy and amazing adventures and has so much more planned than we can even imagine. It’s worth it to not be “safe” or “typical” or follow the cultural “norm” as long as Jesus is the captain. I know that following Jesus and letting Him be the captain of your life looks different for different people, but this is what it looks like for me: preaching His name and sharing His love no matter where in the world He calls me. I love this quote by John Shedd and I’ll leave you with it…
“Ships in harbor are safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” So what about your ship?
