Two ships leave the port. Headed for a distant land both ships expect to return loaded with valuable cargo.

One ship rides high and majestic in the water. Her sails are filled with air, she seems to fly along on top of the water. The captain stands at the wheel piloting his vessel with pride. Because of the speed and agility of the ship, he anticipates a quick and successful journey.

The second ship sets low in the water. Her sails are also filled with air but she struggles to force her way through the water. With a firm grasp on the wheel, her captain watches as the first ship leaves him and his crew behind.

The first night out there is a fierce storm. Both ships are hit hard by the force of the wind. As the lightning flashes the crashing waves pound against the vessels. The storm is devastating. Only one vessel can survive. The wind and the waves batter the other one and it is tossed around on the ocean until it capsizes and is lost.

Why was one ship able to withstand the storm but the other couldn’t? The answer is simple. The surviving ship was weighed with ballast stone and the other vessel was not.

The first ship was lost in the storm because she was light and had no weight to give her stability. The second ship was able to withstand the storm because the captain had filled the cargo hold with ballast stones. The ballast stones caused her to ride low in the water, slowing the ship and making her look cumbersome. However, the ballast stones also gave her stability and the ability to withstand the storm.

The first ship is called Pride and the second ship was called Humility. The Bible teaches us that, A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Let humility be the ballast stone of your life because pride brings destruction but those who are humble will survive the storm.

Douglas Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends