Exams, Study, Career, Preparing for Life

I am sure that many of you are so happy that the exams are over and that you can now enjoy the summer and get on with your life. For some however this is just the beginning as they start a job or begin a new phase in their life. My daughter has just started a job in Manchester and is experiencing the thrill of getting up early to get the train and trying to go bed early to cope with the tiredness. Some say 'it's all part of the rich tapestry of life' others being more honest say it's just extremely exhausting.

I read an article in a paper we distribute in our community recently. It was about a young Naval Officer on his first day on the job after a considerable time of training. The prospect of guiding a ship across the Atlantic was very exciting. This was his first opportunity to prove to everyone that he had the ability to handle the ship efficiently. He confidently issued orders and the decks buzzed with men performing their tasks. The ship left it's moorings in record time and quickly cruised toward the open seas.

The young officer is handed a folded piece of paper. What is it he thinks? Was it perhaps a message of congratulations from the captain?

The note was a radio message that read. "You have completed the exercise according to the book and with amazing speed, in your haste, however you overlooked a vital though unwritten rule: "make sure the captain is aboard before getting underway." The note was signed, "your captain".

Like the young officer, many people study hard and prepare for life's journey with great intensity and a desire to do everything to the best of their ability. They often pull away from the "dock" without asking the Captain to come aboard in their lives. By failing to ask God to be in control they are destined for a life of always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

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