Poetry Thursday - from Psalm 107, King James Version

JMW Turner, Ship in a Storm (via)

Psalm 107:23-31

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.

28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

King James Version 

"We who go down to the sea in ships" suddenly popped into my head in relation to the eye trouble last week. Having ready access to a specialist hospital is the secular version of "putting your trust in the Lord" - and having faith in the knowledge and skills of the staff. 

It was such a pleasure to look for and choose an image for this post. I had this one in mind (it's in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) - the guy in the sky is St Nicholas, he of the many miracles -

Medieval art has many ships, and storms (and other delightful diversions). But when it comes to ships and storms, Turner wins, hands down.