Mayday

The beginning of May brought to my mind the internationally-known radio distress signal, "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" The word comes from the French m'aider—"Venez m'aider" means "Come help me"—and may be used only in a life-threatening emergency; to use it otherwise is a criminal offense.

It was not a great leap then to remember an old gospel song one of my brothers sometimes sang as a special, accompanied by his wife at the piano. The words may be old-fashioned, but then so is my memory!

The Old Ship of Zion

I was drifting away on life’s pitiless sea,
And the angry waves threatened my ruin to be,
When away at my side, there I dimly descried,
A stately old vessel, and loudly I cried:
“Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!”
And loudly I cried: “Ship ahoy!”

’Twas the “old ship of Zion,” thus sailing along,
All aboard her seemed joyous, I heard their sweet song;
And the Captain’s kind ear, ever ready to hear,
Caught my wail of distress, as I cried out in fear:
“Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!”
As I cried out in fear: “Ship ahoy!”

The good Captain commanded a boat to be low’red,
And with tender compassion He took me on board;
And I’m happy today, all my sins washed away
In the blood of my Savior, and now I can say:
“Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord!”
From my soul I can say: “Bless the Lord!”

M. J. Cartwright, 1889.

If ever there is truly an emergency, it is when we need to be rescued spiritually. Certainly this applies to our experience of salvation, but not only then. Like Peter, when he was walking on the water to Jesus, we sometimes see the strong waves of our circumstances and feel the boisterous winds of our own emotions, and we become terrified. “Save me, Lord!” Peter cried out, and Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. (See Matthew 14:22-32).

Whatever our need, however we express the distress call, Divine help is on the way!

MaryMartha