There was once a priest, very zealous for the salvation of souls, who was sent by his superiors to the West Indies to preach the Gospel and labor for the conversion of the pagans there. The ship he boarded was very large, and there were a great number of people, old and young, who were going to different countries to seek their fortunes, or settle in the new lands. As the ship left the harbor, everything seemed to promise a prosperous voyage. The sea was calm and the weather was pleasant and warm. For a few days, the ship sailed along in favorable winds, and the passengers enjoyed themselves. Some of them were even calculating when they would reach their new homes in the Far West, and were making plans about what they would do when they reached the end of their journey. But often when we think the least of danger, danger is very close to us. So it was with them.

When they had been out at sea for about a week, the weather suddenly changed. Dark clouds hid the sun, and there came a dead calm, a sure sign of a coming storm. Very soon the ship began to be thrown from side to side. Great waves broke over it, and the wind began to howl so fiercely that its noise frightened everyone. Even the captain and the seamen, who had seen many storms, were afraid, and said to each other, “This will be a terrible gale! We must prepare for the worst!”

When the passengers heard these experience seamen say that, their fears became greater than ever. A deep and grave silence replaced the previous excitement and laughter. In the meantime the storm increased, and it was soon obvious that the words of the sailors were too true. The great ship, which had ridden so proudly on the calm sea, was now in an awful tempest. All the passengers gave themselves up for lost, and loud cries of despair were heard amidst the noise of the storm. Strong men, as well as the women and children, and even the sailors themselves gave up all hope.

But in the midst of this confusion, there was one on board that ship who was quiet and happy. This was a little boy around seven years old. While the storm was raging, the ship rolling from side to side, and the people wailing and weeping, he sat by himself playing quietly as usual, as if the sea was calm.

Now the zealous missionary who was aboard, seeing the terrible situation, calmly prepared himself for death. As Divine Providence would have it, while the priest was prayerfully preparing his soul, he happened to notice the peaceful little boy. For a few moments, the man just stood watching him.

“My dear child,” he said at last, “you don’t seem to be afraid. Don’t you know that there is an awful storm raging, and we are all in danger of drowning? How can you be playing, and singing, when everyone else is weeping and crying in despair?”

The young boy looked up with cheerful simplicity. "Why should I be afraid?" he answered "Don’t you know that my father is the captain? He knows how to guide it in a storm as well as in calm weather. He loves me, and he knows that I’m on board. Do you think he would let me drown? Of course not! So there’s no reason to be afraid, and that’s why I’m not.”

The storm continued for many days and nights, but at last it came to an end. The passengers, who had so narrowly escaped death, with one voice praised the captain, to whose God-given skill, they owed their lives. The priest then took the opportunity of telling everyone how extraordinarily calm the captain’s son had been, even when the storm was at its height. The missionary went on to explain why he himself had also not been afraid. He too had trusted in his Father...

“Although the captain has proved himself very courageous and strong," the priest explained, "it still could have been beyond his power to save the ship. Nevertheless, we can still learn a beautiful lesson from the boy’s conduct. For if this helpless child had such confidence in the limited skill of his earthly father - so that he feared nothing, even when everyone else was in despair - how much more confidence should we all have in our Heavenly Father, Whose power is infinite, and who watches over every one of us, His children, with fatherly love! Let us all take this lesson to heart and, whenever we are in danger, ask God with a childlike confidence to take care of us, and believe that He will. Even if the danger is very great - we should not be afraid, because He will always be with us.”