Building Ice

Building Ice

       By Drop-Dead-Beautiful Reiemer

         If you know which way you’re going

         And you feel you might be lost

         Call on Jesus and he’ll guide you

         Though the sea be tempest tossed.

         Your boat withstands the stormy weather

         Rain beats on its sails and mast

         Sturdy as a city tower

         Cast this way and that way cast.

         Then the ice begins to build

         And slowly the frail vessel sinks

         Sailors soon call out for mercy

         “Jesus help me!” each soul thinks.

A Sperm whale carries as much as three tons of sperm about with it during the mating season, following its female mate around till she shows her readiness. Then, upon the eggs dropped in a shallow depression on the sandy ocean bottom, he sprays a massive whirling of his seed and, his ballast thus cast overboard, so to speak, he leaves the side of his life-long mate to spend a few weeks with male acquaintances. These carefree males often seek out the remote wildnesses of the icy northern regions where icebergs dance with deceptive grace in the bright sun. Here, amid objects that provide these monstrosities a sense of belonging, the temporary bachelors cavort and play. They meet no animals other than their own kind with the exception of walruses, sea lions and polar bears that might stray into their territory. These sundry wayfarers soon feel the weight of their error when ten or twelve majestic forms close in on them with terrible intent. After much sport, given the agility of Spermatis Leviathonis, the exhausted stranger longs for the end of his life and those in pursuit sensing this pass, oblige then and end it swiftly and surely.

       Now, Jonah not excepting, stories abound of the Sperm benefiting a human in dire straits. We know the one alluded to above of the man reluctant to speak for God and go to Nineveh on His behalf. The sailors threw Jonah into the sea for he admitted his role in the motivation for the storm. The sinking man wishes for all to end, his life so miserable, so beset by trouble since he began to flee Jehovah. But, God is not mocked, nor does he suffer the untimely deaths of his subjects. He sent a whale of mountainous girth, breadth and length to swallow this coward and having done so, it beat on like a ship through the seas toward Nineveh. There on its shores the fish deposited him and soon God’s evangelism began, His dire words of lamentation and warning gushing forth from that now eager mouth with great effect.

       We have encountered also, I am confident, the story of the sailor and his floundering bark. Night black as pitch, stars obscured by cloud thick as peat and marsh, lightening flashing now and then for a brief moment to show him the nature of the graveyard. Wind howls; the vessel tosses; all seems lost! The sailor finds himself about to fling himself bodily overboard and end it all when, lo and behold, to larboard an island! A small bit of land appears there as if a gift from heaven itself! “Hallelujah, I am saved!” he blubbers and applies himself to the oars. Straight way he anchors in the rocky surface and falls spent asleep. He realizes not that the island sleeps, too. The rock of his salvation is none other than Leviathan! And soon she will move. But sensing this weary unfortunate’s dire need, her movements keep to the ocean’s surface until the storm’s intent breaks and calm returns. Safe, the sailor mavels at the miracle of his salvation.  

       Now, another more modern account has also recently surfaced of a young woman swimming the English Channel. A squall arose and turned into a full-blown tempest. The daring Miranda called to her crew following for immediate assistance but nowhere were they to be seen. She deciphered then her fate. Waves as large as termopoli rose above her in wild fury. Up and down she careened until it seemed to her that her body’s force had spent itself entirely. She stopped flailing, thought about her parents one last time, expelled all her breath and dove downward. When to her amazement, a dark thing ascended toward her from out of the deathly depths and soon she found herself lifted to the surface that just moments before she had forgone and left behind as if forever. A beast of immeasurable proportions bore her up on its wide back and kept her there some hours till the wind and water’s fury subsided. Then it sank away. By now Miranda’s strength had fully returned and she found herself able to complete her swim to the French shore. She has vowed never again to set foot in waters of any kind.

       We must not despair. Nature at times indicates approval of our intelligence. She does step forward now and then to make that fact known. Swim or sail through your lives as you wish and with verve. You are important in the large scheme of things.