| Captain Joshua Slocum left from Boston Harbor, | | | | was tempted, but the call of God was stronger. |
| MA on April 24, 1895, at the age of 51, in the | | | | That was a course correction. |
| rebuilt 37-foot sloop Spray. He returned, sailing | | | | Other times, discouragement, frustration, and the |
| into Newport, RI, on June 27, 1898 after | | | | fog of uncertainty and lack of faith kept me from |
| single-handedly sailing around the world, a passage | | | | seeing where my destiny lay. If we can't see |
| of 46,000 miles. This historic achievement made | | | | very far, we can't know which way to go unless |
| him the patron saint of small-boat voyagers, | | | | we have some vital tools to help us. The |
| navigators and adventurers all over the world. I | | | | minimum is a compass and a map. However if we |
| was always fascinated by his story and dreamed | | | | place ourselves in the wrong place on the map all |
| of doing a similar adventure until I finally came to | | | | our best navigation is to no avail. This actually |
| grips with my tendency toward seasickness. | | | | happened to us on our first trip as a family into |
| One particular leg of his voyage has fascinated | | | | the Banawa tribe. I studied the map and placed |
| sailors for over a hundred years. Somewhere in | | | | our starting position where I thought it should be. |
| the Indian Ocean, he set his helm, and went 23 | | | | After an hour of travel, the river ran out! I was |
| days, hardly touching it over a course of 2700 | | | | actually a few miles farther back than I thought, |
| miles. He sailed right into the Keeling Cocos Islands' | | | | so missed a turn in a river that was 15 miles wide |
| harbour before touching the helm again. Here's | | | | with many islands in the middle and many coves. |
| how he describes it in his book Sailing Alone | | | | So God has given us a map -- the Word of God, |
| Around the World: | | | | and a Compass -- the Holy Spirit to guide us. We |
| "I didn't touch the helm, for with the current and | | | | need to spend time with both every moment of |
| heave of the sea the sloop found herself at the | | | | every day. Here's what Joshua said (Not Joshua |
| end of the run absolutely in the fairway of the | | | | Slocum!) (The Message Paraphrase): |
| channel. You couldn't have beaten it in the navy! | | | | |
| Then I trimmed her sails by the wind, took the | | | | And don't for a minute let this Book of The |
| helm, and flogged her up the couple of miles or so | | | | Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate |
| abreast the harbour landing, where I cast anchor | | | | on it day and night, making sure you practice |
| at 3.30 p.m., July 17, 1897, twenty-three days | | | | everything written in it. Then you'll get where |
| from Thursday Island. The distance run was | | | | you're going; then you'll succeed. |
| twenty-seven hundred miles as the crow flies. | | | | Jos 1:8 MSG |
| This would have been a fair Atlantic voyage. It | | | | So the secret to success is meditating on the |
| was a delightful sail! During those twenty-three | | | | Word of God. Yet many Christians today are not |
| days I had not spent altogether more than three | | | | even reading their Bibles. And the secret to |
| hours at the helm, including the time occupied in | | | | getting where you are going is a dynamic, living |
| beating into Keeling harbour. I just lashed the helm | | | | relationship with Jesus Christ through the constant |
| and let her go; whether the wind was abeam or | | | | presence of the Holy Spirit. Now, that's quite a |
| dead aft, it was all the same: she always sailed on | | | | mouthful. But I have learned and am learning that |
| her course. No part of the voyage up to this | | | | the more I am in tune with the Holy Spirit, the |
| point, taking it by and large, had been so finished | | | | more direction I get. |
| as this." | | | | And the more I make "Course Corrections" along |
| I started thinking about this in light of the Church. | | | | the way, the more I stay on course. This speaks |
| My good friend, Pastor Buff, who was for many | | | | of obedience. If we are not obedient to the calling |
| years a military pilot, then an airline pilot for Delta | | | | God has for us, how can we expect Him to give |
| has had a totally different experience. He told me | | | | us more direction? |
| that even the best airliners need course | | | | This has come home dearly to me several times, |
| correction when they are flying. And life is like | | | | but the most painful was the day when I thought |
| that. Joshua Slocum's experience is the exception. | | | | I heard the Lord say we should do something. I |
| We need to evaluate where we are, and see if | | | | told my wife and she said "Well, let's do it." I said |
| the direction we are going will get us to our | | | | OK, but first let's go to the Post Office and bank |
| destination, then correct the course until it does. | | | | and then come back to do it. I don't have space |
| But a one-time course correction is not enough. It | | | | to explain what that "something" was, but |
| takes constant maneuvering to compensate for | | | | because of my lack of instant obedience I missed |
| the currents, winds and storms of life. | | | | out on something of great gain to us. So when |
| I see so many people in the church today | | | | the Lord says "jump", I am now inclined to jump |
| wandering around with no idea of their destination. | | | | much faster than I used to -- but I am still |
| So the first step of proper navigation is to have a | | | | learning! |
| goal, a destiny, and a purpose. Even boaters who | | | | One more thing about Joshua Slocum's boat. The |
| just go out for a day or two of fun sailing have | | | | reason he was able to sail so straight for such a |
| to return to their starting point lest they wander | | | | long distance was because that boat had a long |
| around forever like a ghost ship. There are only | | | | keel which added much to its stability. That |
| two sources for our destiny: God or Satan. We | | | | combined with excellent lines, and symmetric |
| can either let God define our destiny, or else | | | | construction made it go straight with little |
| Satan will. What is it -- It's different for each | | | | attention to the helm. There is much less need |
| person. So each one of us must seek the Lord | | | | for "course correction" if our lives are stable, and |
| and find out what He wants us to do. | | | | balanced, based totally on the basic principles of |
| Then the storms, tribulations and trials come, | | | | life that God has given us. |
| which tend to blow us off our course. I | | | | |
| remember when I was 19 and in college I had | | | | Jesus said: "How narrow is the gate and how |
| known for two years already that God wanted | | | | constricted is the road that leads to life, and few |
| me to be a missionary. But I almost got blown | | | | are the people who find it!" |
| off course by the dream I mentioned above of | | | | Mat 7:14 ISV |
| sailing. Another couple had invited me to help | | | | So, let the church Get on Course! |
| them build a catamaran and sail the Caribbean. I | | | | |