Titanic Talk + A Review of SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting

The R. M. S. Titanic sank 105 years ago today, and I think a lot can be learned from this tragedy. Here is a quote from my post a year ago:

I realize not everyone shares my interest in this historic disaster, but there is one aspect of it I’d like to touch upon. I saw a church sign years ago: “Men built the Titanic. God built the ark. Which one sank?” God had Noah build the ark, and did it sink? No. It stayed afloat for 40 days and 40 nights (and many months after the rains stopped). Noah had faith in God, not in himself.

In the back of Voyage on the Great Titanic, it has a timeline of events, and it amazes me how many things could have been prevented. People thought that the Titanic was unsinkable – they had such faith in their own works and were quite boastful and overconfident in themselves and the ship’s abilities – that they ignored the many warnings that could have possibly saved the great ship. (The book also says that the overworked telegraph operator even responded to one of the ships sending ice warnings, telling them to “shut up”.) In addition, they were so confident that the ship would not sink, that they didn’t install nearly enough lifeboats to even attempt to save all of the passengers who were on board. Proverbs 13:10: “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” The story of the R. M. S. Titanic is so sad. If only the people had not been so arrogant, maybe the Titanic could have been saved. But I guess we will never know.

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SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting

When Barry is sent aboard the Titanic to go be with his parents in New York, it looks like it will be just a lonely journey across the Atlantic. His archenemies, the Flynn brothers, are in steerage while he is in first class, so he hoped that this would keep them at bay. Just when he begins to feel safe, he hears rumors of icebergs…

In a terrified rush of imagination, Barry saw the way the stars would see it. The way God would see it. Lying there big and black and helpless. A great sea creature, bellowing its death cries.

—S.O.S. Titanic by Eve Bunting

My second post ever on this blog was about the Titanic. I included two book reviews for children’s books that took place on the ship. This year, I chose another children’s book, and I wasn’t disappointed! It was mostly clean. Not much filthy language (one word was used a couple of times at the end, which I could have done without, but it didn’t bother me enough to stop reading), no adult topics – it was a fun read. 🙂

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Mistaken Humility

“Ironically, those with this mindset are often fixated on self, thinking about self all the time and how awful self is… but still very much giving all their energy to self.”

↑ That was a response that one of my best friends had the Depression and Denying Self post I made last month. Quote from that:

Denying self. What does this mean? For years, I thought it meant denying self-worth. Statements like, “You don’t deserve (finish this sentence with any good thing, want, or idea)”, “You’re a worthless sinner”, “You’re not good enough” went through my head, and I let them have free reign. (And then those thoughts took the reigns, cut them, and let the worst run free inside me, and it nearly destroyed me. But that’s another post for another day.)

I guess today is that “another day” I mentioned.

I didn’t understand what humility was. I thought that it was “feeling humiliated”. So when my thoughts aimed to beat me up inside, I let them, saying, “This is humility. Jesus wants this.”

Wrong.

Oh, how mistaken I was; the truth was blurred into obscurity for quite a while.

Humility implies the state or quality of being humble; the absence of pride or self-assertion, while being humiliated implies feelings of embarrassment, making a fool of, dishonored, and shamed.
Even though it was self-loathing, it was still a focus on self that I shouldn’t have had. What a sneaky way for pride to attack; under the guise of mistaken humility!

 

Humility:

Mt:11:25: At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

Lk:23:34: Then said Jesus, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.”

Lk:23:46: And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit:” and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.

Jesus always gave glory to the Father. He was the prime example of humility.

 

Humiliation:

If being ridiculed, spit on, beaten up, forced to wear a crown of thorns, and hung naked upon a cross doesn’t give the impression of humiliation, I don’t know what will.

 

He went through the ultimate humiliation, but nowhere have I seen where He humiliated Himself. He knew Who He was and what He was placed here to do.

Likewise, I should know what I am here for and what I am here to do. Bring God glory. Spread the Gospel. Love Him.

(Special thanks to Pete for his Pride series; that was really helpful when writing this. 😊)

Love One Another

When I turn on the TV or radio, I see so much violence in the world. It is overwhelming and devastating, how much hate there is. People gossiping about people, backstabbing people, using their tongues as weapons. (Paul specifically spoke about this in Ephesians 4:29) In addition, there are so many people hurting one another – physically and mentally – and killing one another. It makes me so sad and sick to see it.

How many times have we been told to love one another? I know it was a lot. Here are a few:

John 15:12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

First John  3:23: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

First John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

First John 4:11: Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The hate needs to stop!!!

Let us keep in mind these verses and the poem; love one another! ♥

Believe In Yourself / Self Esteem / Self Importance / Self Entitlement?

More common phrases that drive me batty – and I rolled them all into one post because they are pretty much the same thing. (Yup, the rant posts are now considered a saga! XD The first three installments are: Follow Your Heart, or Be True To Your Heart?, Be Yourself?, and You Only Live Once…?) This one really drives me crazy, so I’m really going to go at it. However you slice it, whether it’s believing in self, or believing that we are important, or we need to be esteemed, or we are entitled to something, it’s just… wrong. X)

Luke 18: 9: And he spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

There. We should be eating humble pie, not focusing on how great we think we are. I mean, let’s face it. We aren’t so great. X) Do we ever do something and think, “I love how this turned out! This is great! Look what I did!” when it isn’t us at all, but God? This leads to pride. Pretty much the whole 6th chapter of Proverbs deals with things that the Lord hates, and pride is on that list:

Proverbs 6:16: These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

And there is also:

1st Epistle of John 2:15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

A proud look. Pride. And lots of other bad stuff.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

If all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, then why would one want to esteem and praise self? We should esteem and praise God, because He is the only one Who is perfect!

Gospel of John 1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Now this is Someone Who is important and entitled – this is Someone Whom I would want to esteem, believe in, and praise, for He is worthy!  🙂