SOS

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 and of God’s  interventions, His revelations, His sustaining power, as well as the miracles He performed during my  voyage.

In the previous LIFE study, All Hands on Deck, I shared our gratefulness towards everyone who  encouraged, supported and prayed for us. And while we were doing fine, we were going out of our  minds. Our situation was serious, but it was beginning to feel like we were living a scene from the movie  Titanic. You remember the scene when the ship was sinking, yet the orchestra played on. I get that the  crew was trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Still, I didn’t know if I could endure one more  minute of the entertainment team and their chair aerobics, Name That Tune, and the Daily Newsletters  (which was a repeat of the day before since every day was the same day lost at sea)! And I absolutely  wanted to do bodily harm to the captain. We dreaded hearing those words, “This is your captain  speaking.” Most times, it was bad news. Once, he actually came on television dressed liked Captain  Crunch offering champagne toasts as his welcome aboard the Rotterdam. We didn’t want champagne.  We didn’t wanna play games. We just wanted to get off the boat! Yes, it sounds like another temper  tantrum, and it was. Seriously. I had another full-fledged temper tantrum. “Waaaaa!” “I wanna get off  da boat!” “I wanna go home!” 


Scripture

Psalm 137:1-4 — By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the  poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs  of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a  foreign land?

Colossians 3:2 — Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Lessons Learned

Derrick and I were ready to get off the ship. But with each passing day, home seemed further and  further away. And while we worked to keep our spirits up and keep “faithing it” until we made it home,  it was hard at times. But what God taught me was that my struggle to cope was so much harder because  my homesickness was misplaced. Like the Children of Israel who were unable to sing the Lord’s song in a  strange land, we too found it difficult to “sing the Lord’s songs in a strange land” because we were  focused on worldly things. I was longing for my physical house and all of the comforts it held. I longed to  be on stable ground, where things were safe and secure. I was homesick for Meatless Mondays and  Taco Tuesdays. I missed my children and my friends. I wanted to visit with family, and I even missed  teaching Methods of Teaching Mathematics (another story for another day). But none of these things  were permanent, and none of these things could save me.  

The home that we needed to keep front and center is our heavenly home. With heaven in our view,  nothing else matters — being shipwrecked, lonely, or bored, storms, illness, financial struggles,  homelessness, pain, joblessness, 50th birthday celebrations, bucket lists fulfilled, or death — none of it  matters in the light of the promises of eternal life.

Lessons Lived

In order to be heavenly-minded, you have to first: 

  • Put to death the things of the world. The Bible makes it clear, so I’ll let it speak for itself. “Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity,  lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on  the sons of disobedience. When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways. But  now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language  from your lips.” – Colossians 3:5-8 
  •  Set your mind on things above. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,  whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is  any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things — Philippians 4:8
  • Surround yourself with the things of God. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you  teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual  songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:16
  • Accept God’s gift of salvation. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will  certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no l onger be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin — Romans 6:5-7

Reflections

    1. How do Psalms 137:1-4 and Colossians 3:2 speak to you? 
    2. What things, people, or attitudes might you need to give up to have a renewed heart and mind?
    3. What steps can you take to let them go?
    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. 

Prayer

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