I am on a ship during this mortal journey. The ship I am on as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not new. It is not shiny, its crew are doing their best, but they are imperfect, soiled at times, and making mistakes. The boat itself is sturdy and the foundation, the hull, and stern are solid. The boat I am on is dinged up, it has dents from collisions, but is a solid vessel. Its course has been corrected over time and the body reinforced as it heads on the journey back to God.
The captain on my boat is perfect, even though His crew is not. Who is my captain? It is my Savior, who has saved me over and over. He didn’t save me from open waters, he saved me from despair. He has saved me from self-doubt. He has saved me from sin. He has kept me from other dangers. He has endowed me with knowledge many times to see more clearly through His telescope pointed at our destination. He has given me a cabin and cabin mates to ride with. We usually get along, but sometimes we fight. We're not perfect, but we're glad to be with each other.
There are no passive passengers on the boat I am sailing. We are all crew members. We don’t always agree, but we know the destination. There are head crew members that do their best to understand the captain’s instructions. The captain sees more than all of us.
There are no golden life jackets. The life jackets we are given aren’t always even a perfect fit right off, but we grow into them as we understand their purpose. Sometimes I am jealous of my fellow crew members jackets, but then I realize that my jacket is a custom fit, right for me on this perilous, storm-filled journey.
The captain’s task is tremendous. He is tasked with overseeing a crew who don’t always obey. He is tasked with helping each person on the ship see that they aren’t JUST passengers but they ARE the crew. They need to pitch in and right the ship when needed. They need to support the assigned deckhands - men and women, who, though imperfect, are some of the very best He has. This captain gives other people besides Himself the chance to steer the ship because He knows that we learn best by doing. The captain isn’t just steering, He is making sure his crew is whole. He has a personal relationship with each one of them. They are individuals to Him.
As a crew member on this ship, when I see weakness, I don’t jump ship, I ask the captain, what I can do to strengthen this ship because we are all on board. If we jump ship, it leaves less crew to sail through rough storms and offer assistance to right the ship when needed.
If anything, this story/parable, whatever you want to call it - has helped me understand the Church in a more merciful sense. We are all responsible to see that the Old Ship Zion makes it to harbor. It’s not a luxury cruise with golden vests. It’s a an old, beat up, but infinitely sturdy, ship that needs all of us to keep it sailing straight.
I won’t jump the ship I’m currently on. It’s heading in the right direction, barnacles, dents, imperfect crew and all. The ride isn't always comfortable, and sometimes other crew members can be frustrating to understand, but it is headed in the right direction.
The captain on my boat is perfect, even though His crew is not. Who is my captain? It is my Savior, who has saved me over and over. He didn’t save me from open waters, he saved me from despair. He has saved me from self-doubt. He has saved me from sin. He has kept me from other dangers. He has endowed me with knowledge many times to see more clearly through His telescope pointed at our destination. He has given me a cabin and cabin mates to ride with. We usually get along, but sometimes we fight. We're not perfect, but we're glad to be with each other.
There are no passive passengers on the boat I am sailing. We are all crew members. We don’t always agree, but we know the destination. There are head crew members that do their best to understand the captain’s instructions. The captain sees more than all of us.
There are no golden life jackets. The life jackets we are given aren’t always even a perfect fit right off, but we grow into them as we understand their purpose. Sometimes I am jealous of my fellow crew members jackets, but then I realize that my jacket is a custom fit, right for me on this perilous, storm-filled journey.
The captain’s task is tremendous. He is tasked with overseeing a crew who don’t always obey. He is tasked with helping each person on the ship see that they aren’t JUST passengers but they ARE the crew. They need to pitch in and right the ship when needed. They need to support the assigned deckhands - men and women, who, though imperfect, are some of the very best He has. This captain gives other people besides Himself the chance to steer the ship because He knows that we learn best by doing. The captain isn’t just steering, He is making sure his crew is whole. He has a personal relationship with each one of them. They are individuals to Him.
As a crew member on this ship, when I see weakness, I don’t jump ship, I ask the captain, what I can do to strengthen this ship because we are all on board. If we jump ship, it leaves less crew to sail through rough storms and offer assistance to right the ship when needed.
If anything, this story/parable, whatever you want to call it - has helped me understand the Church in a more merciful sense. We are all responsible to see that the Old Ship Zion makes it to harbor. It’s not a luxury cruise with golden vests. It’s a an old, beat up, but infinitely sturdy, ship that needs all of us to keep it sailing straight.
I won’t jump the ship I’m currently on. It’s heading in the right direction, barnacles, dents, imperfect crew and all. The ride isn't always comfortable, and sometimes other crew members can be frustrating to understand, but it is headed in the right direction.
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