Disturb Us

This poem is above my desk and has been for years.  It's a constant reminder to remain uncomfortable, embrace tension, and push into the future.  If you've read it before, let it be a fresh reminder.  If it's new to you, let me introduce you to Sir Francis Drake.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain, Who is Jesus Christ.