UNEXPECTED SEA SWELLS

Thanks so much for continuing with me along my adventure aboard the Zaandam and Rotterdam cruise  ships, from March 7th to April 4th, 2020. This is a continuation of the lessons learned during my  quarantine and of God’s interventions, revelations, sustaining power, as well as the miracles He  performed during my voyage.  

In the previous LIFE study, I’m In Control, I talked about how I’d become comfortable because I assumed  I was in control. I was no longer concerned about “the other shoe dropping” because the cruise was  going as planned. Well, let me tell you, the shoe certainly did drop, and I quickly learned that I was not  in control.  

At the end of the first week, things began to change. The ship management began taking more  cautionary measures like eliminating the self-serve food stations in the dining rooms and positioning  hand sanitizer dispensers at every entrance and throughout the gym. Then we got word that all  excursions had been canceled due to countries responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Disappointing, yes,  but we were still scheduled to continue our journey and would at least sail through Glacier Alley. We still  had access to all of the onboard amenities like the gym, the spa, the shows, and the dining rooms. So,  while we would miss out on some of the cool sites, things weren’t that bad — workouts continued,  eating well continued, hanging out with people we’d met continued, and life aboard the Zaandam went  on. 

We looked forward to experiencing the glaciers. But the very morning we thought we’d awaken to the  majestic hanging glaciers sprawled across the snow-capped Darwin Range, we learned that we, in fact,  had turned around and were back in Puntas Arenas, Chile, the place we began our journey. The captain  

informed us that overnight, things had changed quickly. He had gotten word that countries were closing  their ports, and if we were to have any chance at all of flying out and getting back home, he had to turn  around to get back to Puntas Arenas before 8:00 am, the time for Chile’s’s official lockdown.  

To Be Continued… 

Scripture

Isaiah 26:3-4 tells us that God will keep us in perfect peace as we trust Him and keep our minds steadfast on Him.

Lessons Learned

It has been said that “The only constant in life is change (Heraclitus).” And while intellectually we may  get it, in reality, we dislike and are resistant to change. We like things mapped out, spelled out, and  planned out. We like orderly and predictable. Let me pause right here for a bit.  

To better understand the irony of this situation, you need to understand more about who we are, or at  least who Derrick, my husband, is. Derrick is a retired Deputy Fire Department Chief who currently  works in disaster relief. So his frame of mind is that you always have an emergency preparedness plan,  and, more specifically, you’re always ready to act when crisis strikes. He always has a plan, and he is  always in control. 

So as panic set in for others, Derrick and I jumped into “fix-it mode,” as we’re prone to do. We spent  hours on the phone trying to get flights back home out of Puntas Arenas. We spent hours trying to  cancel previously booked flights. We sought answers from everyone we ran into, asking, “Did you get a  flight?, How about a refund? Who’s your connection? Who do we know who can help get us off this  boat?”  

We spent lots of time, energy, and resources trying to respond to the unexpected. Trying to fix it and  make it right. And guess what? It was all to no avail because the authorities of Puntas Arenas later  informed us, “Oh, we’re sorry. Did we say our port was closing at 8:00 am? Ooops. We closed our ports  at midnight, so you won’t be docking here.” 

My Aha moment from this experience: my plans are not God’s plans and my “get er done” mentality  should not be my first response to the unexpected. I’m not advocating that you throw out your  emergency preparedness plans or discount what you know about crisis intervention. But what I realized  at that moment was that my first response should have been to pray and seek God’s guidance. And who  knows, maybe I still would have done all of the planning and preparing that I did, but how much better  would it have been if I was doing it with a more peaceful heart. Maybe I would have been less anxious  and worried. Maybe I could have been a voice of calm and reassurance to others who were stressed out  instead of adding to the confusion and chaos. 

Lessons Lived

What I realized, my friends, is that shift happens. Always has, always will. And when it does, we need to  have a spiritual preparedness plan.  

In the world of disaster relief, we’re told that you can’t begin planning for a crisis during the crisis. Just  as we’re directed to have an emergency preparedness plan, we should also have a spiritual  preparedness plan that is our default response when the sea swells.  

President J.F. Kennedy once remarked that “when written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of  two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” What if we viewed our  crisis as an opportunity for God to show up and show out? Think of the unexpected as an opportunity to  exercise your trust in God. Think of it as an opportunity to testify about God’s goodness and sovereignty. 

So the next time the unexpected happens, pause. Take a minute to share your concern with God, ask for  His peace, and then ask Him what it is that He would have you learn from this unexpected crisis. How  would He have you act? To whom would He have you minister? How would He have you grow? 

And when panic begins to consume you, have those default scriptures already hidden in your heart so  that you can readily recite them over and over and over, reminding yourself of the God You serve  (Deuteronomy 10:17, Nehemiah 9:6). Reminding yourself that you are not alone (Joshua 1:5). Reminding  yourself of all the prayers previously answered (Luke 8:39). Reminding yourself that God is in control  (Jeremiah 29:11).  

Reflections

  1.  How does Isaiah 26:3-4 speak to you?
  2. What is your default response when a crisis strikes? How is it working for you? How might you  improve it?
  3. What Bible texts of comfort, hope, and peace can you hide in your heart to steady you the next  time crisis strikes?
  4. What are your personal LIFE Lessons?
    • Liberation: What new insights have you gained that have freed you from past thoughts  or practices?
    • Inspiration: In what ways have you been spiritually, emotionally or mentally motivated  to live for Christ?
    • Fortification: What additional scriptural texts, passages or stories can reinforce and  strengthen you against the attacks of the enemy?
    • Edification: How might you share your story to edify others and bring glory to God?

Playlist

As you process, digest, and apply what’s been shared, here are a couple of songs from my “Got Me  Through on the Boat” Playlist. Listen and allow the music infiltrate your soul. Read the lyrics and let the  words encourage you. And I pray that you’ll be blessed as I was.  

Jonathan McReynolds — Situation — Jonathan McReynolds — Situation (MUSIC VIDEO)

Lauren Daigle — Trust In You — Lauren Daigle — Trust In You (Live)

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for being my sovereign God who loves me, who has a plan for  me, and who has promised never to leave me or forsake me. So much is going on around the world,  Dear Father. So many events have taken me by surprise. And often, I panic. I jump into fix-it or worry  mode. But I’m asking that You fortify me and remind me that if I only ask, a peace that surpasses all  understanding will be mine. The circumstances may not change. The storm may continue to rage, but I  can be assured that with You I can weather the storm. Thank You for Your love and Your peace. In Your  name, I pray. Amen.
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