A Little Disturbing

From what I know about explorer Francis Drake, I would have disagreed with him on at least 2 counts: I have nothing against Spain and I like Catholics. However… I stumbled on a prayer he wrote as he ventured out to the west coast of South America and it resonated deeply with me:

Prayer of Francis Drake, 1577

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

I have been disturbed. It is uncomfortable. It keeps me up at night, contemplating what He calls me to. It sacrifices my comfort. It involves a level of breaking, loss, and empathy that I would never choose for myself.

Yet, if I were comfortable, complacent, self-satisfied, or in love with my life...well, that alternative is much, much more frightening.