“Steady as she goes” the ship’s helmsman cries, hoping to keep the ship on its current course. The nautical term urges the helmsman to first observe where the ship lies and its current direction, and then to maintain that course steadily going forward.

What lies out there? No one knows. Sometimes in a storm, a sailor cannot see in front of him or her, let alone further ahead. That’s why the compass is so important. Like an internal clock, the compass is the ship’s true North that can perceive the direction of the ship and keep it “steady as she goes” even when “full speed ahead” is more like a slow snail slide. In the midst of any storm, that ship can ride the waves of Holy Spirit, even when rocked and tossed about, as long as those sailing can keep their eyes fixed to the compass and kee…