After this the company of Brendan hoisted their sails, and it was the summer season, and they had a favourable brisk wind right behind them, so they had no need to row, but only to keep their sails hoisted. And after they had spent ten days on this wise the wind lowered its loud voice and whistling, and its force being spent they were compelled to row. Brendan spake to them and said: “Fear not,” said he, “for we have our God Himself as our guide and helper. And ship your oars, and do not toil or labour; and God will guide His own boat and company as He pleases”…And they got a steady wind, but knew not whither the wind was carrying them.
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
– John 3.7, 8
Becalmed
This vignette sounds historical. It is every sailor’s bane to become becalmed—no wind, not even a slight breeze. For ten days a steady wind had driven Brendan and his company north and west on the Atlantic, as they were seeking The Promised Land of the Saints. Then the wind died and out came the oars.
We can imagine that rowing a large leather boat against the rise and fall of the Atlantic Ocean was an arduous task—the kind that might make certain of Brendan’s company begin to question the wisdom of their journey.
Tim Severin reports, of the beginning of their journey, “A swell was entering the channel between the islands, and when we hit it, we began to sway up and down on the waves. The effect was like riding a roller-coaster at the fairground.”
Did Brendan sense his crew’s weariness, as he watched them straining against oceanic waves and swells? More than that, did he see fear rising among his company, that perhaps the ocean would be their ruin?
Undoubtedly, we feel this way sometimes. It’s like the wind has gone out of our sails. Our energy reserves are depleted. We are exhausted and getting nowhere. Circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. And there is no relief on the horizon. What’s to become of us?
Never becalmed
Brendan, remembering the promise of the angel to be with them throughout their journey, called in the chit on that promise and instructed his men to “ship the oars”—bring them onto the boat. He believed that God would bring relief in the form of a fresh wind, and in time, that is exactly what happened.
We can imagine this entire scenario as having happened just as it is reported here, and this lends credence to the historicity of Brendan’s journey.
In the Spirit of God, we need never become becalmed in life. He is always blowing fresh breezes of God’s Word into the sails of our soul, pushing us forward into faith, hope, obedience, and Christlikeness. Our destination is not unknown. We are sailing for the promise of seeing Jesus and being made like Him,[1] and that increasingly day by day.[2] We may encounter “rough seas” from time to time, and when we do, we must resist the temptation to think we need to dig our way out of these with all the strength we can muster. We must set aside all such thoughts and remember the promise of Jesus: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”[3] In the midst of every trial or turmoil, claim that promise. Pray it back to Jesus. Open your heart and mind to His leading and wait on Him for some fresh Spirit-sent wind. He will never fail you nor forsake you.[4]
When the seas of life get rough, or when the sails of your soul go limp, remember the promise of Him Who stilled the waves and rules the winds. Rejoice, give thanks, and sail on.
For Reflection
1. When do you encounter “rough seas” in life?
2. What should you do when you feel like your soul has become “becalmed”?
Psalm 104.24-30 (Creation: The Spacious Firmament Above)
How many are Your works, O LORD,
which You have created by Your Word!
The earth and sea with creatures teem—
they look to You to care and feed.
You give to them, they gather all;
You hide Your face, they fail and fall.
You take their breath, they gasp and die;
You send Your Spirit, they revive.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter
[1] 1 John 3.1-3
[2] 2 Peter 3.18
[3] Matthew 28.20
[4] Hebrews 13.5
