2022-32 Can You Sleep When The Wind Blows

The other day we had one of those good ol’ summer thunderstorms roll through. There was lightning crashing and flashing through the night sky every few seconds. One element that was not expected to be so powerful was the extreme force of the wind as the down pouring rain soon became horizontal rain and tree limbs began breaking and roofs were damaged all through the neighborhood. I have seen this forceful of wind a few times. One of those time was when I was a teenager and we were traveling cross country to Iowa for a family reunion and ended up in the middle of a storm that produced the largest F5 tornado the state had seen in years. Now tornados are very rare where we live in Utah and we have not had one in years. I’m just saying that this wind was really strong during this last storm and was bringing back those memories of tree limbs flying across our windshield. The next mornings my daughter and I drove around to see some of the damage and it was amazing to see what the wind can do and how some neighborhoods had more damage than others. It reminded me of a Scouter’s Minute that I shared back in 2018 before putting this podcast together.

This one is entitled “Can You Sleep When The Wind Blows?”

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him. A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. The young man slept soundly.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke. So when the wind blew, he was not afraid. He could sleep in peace.

How does this apply to our lives? The story about the young farmhand illustrates a principle that is often overlooked about being prepared for various events that occur in life. There was nothing dramatic or sensational in the young farmhand's preparations he just faithfully did what was needed each day. Consequently, peace was his, even in a storm. A short poem expresses this principle as it pertains to your life.

It isn't the things you do,

It's the things you leave undone,

Which gives you a bit of heartache,

At the setting of the sun.

What are you leaving undone?

Baden Powell back in the day was asked “Be Prepared… for what?” His reply was, “For any old thing.” Let us continue to prepare ourselves for any old thing. So when our own storms hit through our life, we can also sleep when the wind blows knowing that we have done our best and all is well.

2021-16 Titanic

Around this time of year, I am always reminded of the story of the Titanic. For those of you who don’t know this story, I’ll share a quick version of it. I’m guessing that my fascination with this story stems back to being a kid in the 80’s when Dr. Robert Ballard found the Titanic on the ocean floor over two miles down from the surface. My Dad really enjoyed watching National Geographic To this day I can still remember myself sitting on the couch next to my father watching the video images from the submersible Argo play out on our television the resting site of the RMS Titanic.

On April 10th, 1912 the Titanic started her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. She was the newest and largest ship afloat at the time. She also had the newest technology of watertight compartments that gave her the nickname Unsinkable. Many people believed that even God could not sink her. She was a powerful and majestic ship. Her first class accommodations were the most luxurious of any ship with a gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, and the finest dining. At the time, there were three classes. First Class, Second Class, and Third Class (also known as Steerage). With all the high tech safety features, and engineering that went into building her in Ireland, the 2,224 passengers and crew members had great confidence in her… a little too much confidence.

Titanic, on her maiden voyage, only carried 20 lifeboats. Less than half of her capacity of 48 lifeboats. If something drastic happened and the passengers needed to abandon ship, only 1,178 people at most would be able to fit on the provided lifeboats.

Captain Edward Smith gave the orders for full steam ahead. On April 14th, four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, and about 375 miles south of Newfoundland, she struck an iceberg at 11:40pm ship’s time. On the starboard side, starting from the bow and working it’s way back, the iceberg started punching holes in the hull. A total of 5 of the 16 watertight compartments were now exposed to the ice cold water of the great Atlantic Ocean. But not to worry, she was unsinkable from the watertight compartments that could be remotely sealed from the bridge right. Yes and no… The design of the compartments below deck made it possible to keep the ship afloat if 4 compartments or less were damaged. But the iceberg breached 5 compartments causing the water to flow over the top of each compartment as it filled with water and gradually caused the ship to sink as each of the 16 compartments filled with water. The distress call of S.O.S. was broadcasted out to anyone who could help. The RMS Carpathia responded to the call, but was 58 miles away and would take over 4 hours to reach the Titanic.

To the lifeboats! But remember. There were less than half of the needed lifeboats onboard to save everyone. Women and children were first to be saved. So the crew began loading the lifeboats, but only at half their capacity. It’s even speculated that First Class passengers refused other classes to be permitted on the lifeboats they were on. Also, many of the passengers, in the beginning, felt that loading the lifeboats was unnecessary. Even the dining room was setting the tables in preparation for the next meal. They still believed that this great ship would not sink. The lifeboats continued to be released with less than full capacity, the band kept on playing, and for the most part the passengers did not see the danger.

In two hours, things started to get bad, real quick. The bow started to dip farther into the water. So much that passengers noticed the angle as they walked or ran to their lifeboats. Those that doubted that the ship would sink, came to the quick realization that the Titanic was doomed. But now most of the lifeboats were either already gone, or filling up quickly. There was no more room for those who waited too long to be saved. One can only imagine the chaos with a sinking ship in the middle of the freezing Atlantic, flares being launched into the dark sky, the sound of the water spilling into the bulkheads, the band playing Nearer My God To Thee, screaming, crying, fear…

At 2:20 am, from the weight of the water pulling her down, Titanic broke apart and foundered with over 1,000 people still aboard the ship.

Those who did not hesitate running to the lifeboats were saved. Sometimes the small and simple decisions, like taking a seat in a lifeboat, are the choices that end up determining the rest of our lives.

We can learn many lessons from the history of the Titanic that we can apply into our daily lives. As scouts, we learn to always be prepared. When Baden Powell was asked what to be prepared for, his response was “Why, for any old thing.”

Continue to do your best each day as you prepare yourself for “any old thing.”