There are so many beautiful hymns about the water, about the sea, and this one is a favorite:
Jesus, Savior pilot me
Over Life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rocks and treacherous shoal
Charter and compass come from thee
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
I like that special line, “Over life’s tempestuous sea.” Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and recently, my secretary Francie and our friend, Donna, went to Oceanside, down in San Diego County to enjoy some time by the sea, by the ocean. One of the things Francie was most looking forward to was walking with Donna early in the morning along the breakers to look for smooth stones. Sometimes near a creek that empties into the surf they’ll find lots of nice ones, and Francie tells me that she and Donna enjoy putting these smooth stones in potted plants, or in their garden, or sometimes in a vase with flowers. The two of them have become proficient collectors of smooth stones. And nowhere do you find them smoother than by the tempestuous sea, by the ocean.
It’s why when Francie gave me this poem, she encouraged me to share it with you (just like she sent it to Donna). It was written in 1994 by Lois Kempton. And so I share this beautiful poem with you:
“How smooth, oh, stone of the sandy beach; How silken and curved in my hand! How long have you traveled these fretful waves Till you came to this quiet sand? And how many times, oh, how many times Did the wild waves toss you high? And plunge you fiercely against the land, While the thunders filled the sky? How many times did the lifting swell Deposit you far on the shore, Then drag you, and roll you, and rub you along In friction forevermore? Ah! You are a stone; and the ceaseless pound And the grinding that knows no end Can cause no pain in your adamant heart. You yielded and yielded again, Till now, in the contour of loveliness You are sculpted so round and so fair. On the windswept beach I stand in awe Of the One who has flung you there. Oh, Father of waters! Oh, Sculptor divine, My heart, it is not a stone! And the tossings and tumblings of life are pain; Yet, help me Thy wisdom to own; To yield to Thy waters, Thy polishing hand, The ache to commit unto Thee; Till I shall be found as a gemstone indeed, A marvel beside Thy sea.”
A lovely poem, isn’t it? We have it posted at joniandfriends.org if you want to download it or listen to the program again. Today though maybe you feel you are the one being tossed in every direction. Well, friend, God knows you’ve got a few rough edges that need to be polished away… how about it? That process is never fun, but like the poem says, God is making you not just into a smooth stone… friend, He’s got in mind something more precious… a gemstone, because the polishing of your faith is more precious than gold.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends