Holy Trinity Church

It is a little ironical that the stricken luxury liner 'Costa Concordia' should be the result of a gaping hole in its hull on the 100th anniversary of the infamous sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Early reports suggest that this accident was avoidable and the likely result of poor navigation, if not blatant neglect on behalf of the ship's captain. The sea is an unforgiving place and as one seaman commented this week is the enemy of every sailor. Careful manoeuvring of such a large vessel is critical in any water, but particularly where rocks are known to threaten. We occasionally hear of other mis-directional accidents happening - buses losing their roof as they try to navigate under a low bridge; lorry's getting wedged between buildings in streets too narrow; drivers going along one way streets the wrong way…

Life is full of directional mishaps as we navigate our way from one day to the next. The important thing to remember is that steering a true and correct path is paramount if we're not to be hit with minor bumps and scrapes or even worse a major catastrophe. The captain of a ship is trusted with the safety of the passengers in his care and his judgement and actions should reflect the responsibility placed upon him. Who is captain of your ship? Upon whom do you rely to steer you safely from one place to another, from one day to the next? It is easy when the waters are calm and serene to sit back and enjoy the moment but it is as vitally important even in the tranquil moments of life that the rudder is in safe hands. Who is it that has a hand on your rudder of life and steers you through the murky waters as well as the calm? At the risk of mixing my metaphors, is Jesus a back seat passenger in your life as you continue to drive in the direction you want or have you handed over the controls to him, trusting him for every move? It is not always easy to relinquish control but, with the Lord at the helm of your life, you can be secure in the knowledge that he will always steer you safely through the stormy waters!

'LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbour!' Psalm 107:28-30