Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let all men know your forbearance.  The Lord is at hand.  Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

There is a great deal of stress in our lives today.  For those of us ashore, anxiety about the world economic crisis, wars, uncertainty in the Middle East, earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes is exhausting.  For those of us at sea, anxiety about families left at home, storms, pirates and port inspectors is exhausting.

When we feel helpless, we rail against our political representatives, and they, in turn, lash out against each other.  It's neither productive nor rewarding.  When seafarers feel helpless, there's nobody to rail against at sea.  Instead, they pray.  It seems to work for them.