On August 5, 1620 a group of people boarded a ship named the Mayflower in Southampton, England and set sail for the New World, in order to escape the religious tyranny and persecution they had been suffering by the hands of the “official” Church of England. They were bound for a land where they would be free to worship God in the ways that they wished.
Think about it. They were leaving behind practically everything they had, including friends and family, to go to this new land of promise. Nonetheless, off they went. After a short time at sea, the Mayflower had to turn back and land in Dartmouth, England, because her consort ship, the Speedwell, had begun to leak. They tried again on August 22, 1620, but again had to return to port, this time Plymouth, England, because of problems with the Speedwell.
At this point, they must have begun to feel very disappointed. But the Speedwell was abandoned and 20 of her passengers decided to return home. The rest, however, crammed onto the Mayflower and she and her passengers left Plymouth, England once and for all on September 6, 1620, more than a month behind their original schedule. She left port with 102 passengers, including three pregnant women, and a crew of between 25 and 30 men. It took them 66 days to travel the 2,750 miles from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts, which, by the way, was not even their intended destination! They originally had planned to land in warm, sunny Florida! What happened?
Well, to say the least, it was not a pleasant trip! This was no modern day holiday cruise ship. It was cramped. It was dirty. It leaked. And to top things off, the weather did not cooperate. Listen to the words of William Bradford as he gives his account of the voyage in his book, “Of Plymouth Plantation”.
There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty, able body, which made him more haughty. He would always be condemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not let to tell them that he hoped to cast half of them overboard before they came to the journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head; and it was an astonishment to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the hand of God upon him.
After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a season, they were encountered many times with cross winds, and met with many fierce storms, with which the ship was soundly shaken and her works made very leaky; and one of the main beams in the mid- ships was bowed and cracked, which put them in some fear that the ship could not be able to make the voyage.
So some of the chief of the company, perceiving the mariners to fear the sufficiency of the ship, as appeared by their mutterings, they entered into serious consultation with the master and other officers of the ship, to consider in the time of danger; and rather to return then to cast themselves into a desperate and inevitable peril. And truly there was great distraction and difference of opinion among the mariners themselves; fain would they do what could be done for their wage’s sake, (being now half the seas over), and on the other hand, they were loathe to hazard their lives too desperately. But, in examining all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be strong and firm under water, and for the buckling of the main beam, there was a great iron screw the passengers brought out of Holland, which would raise the beam into its place; the which being done, the carpenter and the master affirmed that with a post put under it, set firm in the lower deck, and other ways bound, he would make it sufficient.
And as for the decks and upper works, they would caulk them as well as they could, and though with the workings of the ship they would not keep staunch, yet there would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not over pass her with sails. So they committed themselves to the will of God, and resolved to proceed. In sundry of these storms the wind was so fierce, and the seas so high, as they could not bear a knot of sail, but were forced to hull, for divers days together.
And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull in a mighty storm, a lusty young man (called John Howland) coming up some occasion above the gratings, was with a stele of the ship thrown into the sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the top sail halyards, which hung overboard, and ran out at length; yet he held his hold (though he was sundry fathoms under water) ‘til he was hauled up by the same rope to the brim of the water, and then with a boat hook and other means, got into the ship again, and his life saved; and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member in both church and commonwealth.
In all this voyage there died but one of the passengers, which was William Butten, a youth, servant to Samuel Fuller, when they drew near the coast. But to omit other things, (that I may be brief), after long beating at sea, they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made and certainly known to be it, they were not a little joyful.
After some deliberation had amongst themselves and with the master of the ship, they tacked about and resolved to stand southward (the wind and weather being fair) to find some place at Hudson’s River for their habitation. But, after they had sailed that course about half a day, they fell amongst dangerous shoals and roaring breakers, and they were so far entangled therewith as they conceived themselves in great danger; and the wind shrinking upon them withal, they resolved to bear up again to the Cape, and thought themselves happy to get out of those dangers before night overtook them, as by God’s providence they did. And the next day they got into the Cape-harbor where they rid in safety.
A word or two by the way of this cape; it was thus first named by Captain Gosnold and his company, 1602, and after by Captain Smith was called Cape James; but it retains the former name amongst seamen. Also that point which first showed these dangerous shoals unto them, they called Point Care, and Tucker’s Terror; but the French and Dutch to this day call it Malabar, by reason of those perilous shoals, and the losses they have suffered there.
It was not in sunny, warm Florida as intended. Instead, they found themselves without much food, with no shelter, no Holiday Inns or even a Motel Six with the lights left on for them, as they disembarked in Massachusetts at the beginning of what they knew would be a cold, snowy winter. They could have been very, very distraught and fearful of their unknown future. Yet hear the final words from Mr. Bradford:
Paul gives us the answer in verses 5-7. Hear his words. “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything; but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul tells us to pray our prayers with thanksgiving, as if those prayers have already been answered at the time that we pray them! So on Thursday, at some point during the day, somewhere between the turkey and the pumpkin pie, and the football games, and the family chatting, take time to stop and really pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God for everything that He has given you, every blessing He has bestowed upon you, every act of mercy and kindness that He has allowed to happen to you, and those that He has given you the privilege to do for others. Also, even give God thanks for the times that He has brought the trials and sufferings into your life. Like a lump of coal needs intense heat and pressure to become a diamond, so we need to be refined. God will bring out the diamond in you if you will let Him. So give thanks with a grateful heart to God for all things, in all times, and make “Thanksgiving” not just a day once a year, but rather a lifestyle for eternity. Amen.