The Titanic and Our Iceburgs

symbolic of pride

This spoke to me. 
I've hit my own ice berg. 

His name is Jason and he left me to sink. 
 

On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic, the world is abuzz with Life Lessons using the Titanic as the object lesson or Metaphor for such rewarding opportunities to ponder "What If?" or  looking back asking, "What would I have done?' or 'How could I learn from this tragedy, even 100 years later?"

Humility would be a good starter lesson:  She was labeled 'unsinkable'!  And because she was, certain precautions were not taken.  Speed, insufficient life boats, safety procedures are just a few symptoms of the arrogance that accompanies Pride when one thinks they are 'unsinkable'.  

Goliath should have won his battle with his small 'iceberg' but he took for granted his size and 'unsinkableness'  and his Pride and Arrogance were his undoing.

David, should have learned from the down fall of Goliath but instead he perpetuated the 'unsinkable'  attitude and lingered on the balcony instead of running like his cousin Joseph of Egypt.  

I recently read the farewell words of one of our missionary assistants where he acclaimed his 'unsinkable'  testimony, but reading his words 25 years later was with great sadness as I know from his family that he has abandoned both his family and his church.   He found his iceberg and it took him down.  

I met just today with a wonderful and faithful latter-day Saints mother who, along with her husband, did all the expected LDS things with her family during the growing up years; church, scouting, early morning seminary, family home evening, family prayer, positive attitude, scripture reading...and with confidence they believed their kids to be 'unsinkable' only to watch some of them leave home and sink as they ran into the icebergs of education before they could get planted in the mission field.   They grieve and wonder what more they could have done to 'warn'  of the frozen waters and icebergs they were surely going to face?  They are not alone as they ask the "What if..."  questions.  

This nation,  the greatest ever 'born',  has been a beacon of hope for the world and for the last 60 years, she seemed unsinkable.  A Land of Opportunity.  A land of hope for anyone who with some education, a Christian set of values and the desire to 'get up early and work hard'  could 'find their oil'  and take it to the bank.  An unstoppable formula for success.   But we have scrapped up against some icebergs along the way, punctured our armor and are heading for the 'big one' because we have let Pride and our Arrogance lead us to believe that 'there is an easier way to  live the American Dream.  We don't have to get up as early or work as hard and worst of all, many now believe that the American Dream is an ENTITLEMENT. Our leader smirks and makes light of our massive and unstoppable debt and preaches the doctrine of 'fairness'  that he says will fix the leaks and tells us the 'big one'  ahead is not so big and for us to TRUST him and he will lead us to the promised land where we can all enjoy the beach. The scary part is that many are 'dancing on the deck'  while the double walls have been breached and icy water is slowing sinking the ship. 

I'm so thankful for my parents who poured the foundation of 'getting up early and hard work'; a pre-mission education with an Institute across the street to keep some balance in my 'pursuit of education'; a mission president who gave me the rest of the formula for success;  a wife who was grounded in the things that mattered most and wanted nothing else in her life;  an opportunity to be mentored by humble, but successful people who knew where the icebergs were and kept me focused on a course to avoid them.   Take anyone of those 'pieces' of my life away and there is a incredible chance my ship too would have sunk before it got through the ice fields of life. My early Foundation, my Mission and the Formula for Success, my Education, my Spouse, my Family, my Mentors, the Books I read, the Callings we've accepted, the Invitations we've received, the Failures we experienced and even the Successes we have had - each has played a significant part in providing the radar defense to warn of impending doom ahead - icebergs if you will - and have helped us steer clear of those dangers.

1,500 people died 100 years ago as a reminder to me, my family and to my friends that there is danger ahead and if the warnings are ignored they will certainly sink any ship that arrogantly believes they can move forward, full steam ahead, oblivious of the destruction that await us. 

I'm fearful that too many of us are, like David,  watching from the safety of our balcony, the majesty of a rapidly approaching iceberg and not realizing that what we see is only the tip and before we know it, it  could be too late and as the band plays on we might not get a seat on one of the few life boats.   

Thankfully most of us who are reading this are not like David, but are more like Joseph and have put on our running shoes, swim suit and thermals and are already sitting in one of the lifeboats and will enjoy the orchestra music as we are lowered into the sea and will safely await the Rescue.  And thankfully there is still time to get more into the lifeboats and to find a new captain who knows what's ahead. 

Man the Lifeboats...

Bro Jim (A church member in Hawaii that served with my Uncle and Uunt Mckell on their mission to BYU-Hawaii)