Jessica Watson and God's providence

Phew.... she's made it back!

After 210 days and 23,000 nautical miles at sea, the 16 year old Australian sailor Jessica Watson has defied all her doubters and has safely returned from her controversial round-the-world voyage yesterday. She's now the youngest person ever to have sailed solo around the world (despite it not being allowed to go in the record books).

After arriving back to shore, she was greeted by screaming fans, family members and also the Prime Minister of Australia. He says to her: "You may feel a little wobbly on your feet right now but in the eyes of Australians you stand tall among Australians as our newest hero.''

I'm not sure about you, but I've always been wondering what the motivation was behind Jessica's daring decision to venture across the globe like that. Was it for the fame and the fortune? Or was there a message that she wanted to get out there... a message that she wanted to preach to the youth of Australia?

The latter apparently... despite the huge sponsorship deals that she'll be expecting afterwards.

In response to the Prime Minister, she humbly replies: "I'm going to disagree with the Prime Minister. I don't consider myself a hero. I'm an ordinary girl who believed in her dream....You don't have to be someone special, or anyone special to achieve something amazing. You've just got to have a dream, believe in it and work hard."

I must admit that there's much to admire about Jessica Watson. I admire her determination to set an example to her fellow teenagers, especially the girls, about their potential to achieve great things.

However, I think her message goes a bit too far.

She says: "You've just got to believe in it. Anything really is possible if you want it. You've just got to put the effort in."

Well, is that really true? It only takes a big tidal wave to disprove her theory, and thankfully she didn't come across one.

Of all the people that she thanked after homecoming, I believe she failed to give thanks to the One who deserved it most: God.

Was it not God who upheld the weather and prevented any serious waves from coming her way? Was it not God who sustained her health throughout those 210 days? And was it not God who kept her boat in one piece?

Having hard work and determination to achieve a dream is a virtue. But if God, who is ultimately behind all things, is not thanked for providing and sustaining, then it becomes a type of boasting.

James 4:13-16 says this:

3Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.