Feb
22
2016
Whale Watching
Posted in Faith 2 Comments
A friend of mine is getting ready to go on a cruise.
I saw her Facebook post.
I wished her well.
I know she will have a wonderful time.
As for me, I’m not so sure.
I have never been on a cruise ship but I have no desire to go on one.
I remember one experience that happened about twenty-three years ago.
I think of it from time to time and can still remember it vividly.
We only had four children at the time.
My husband always liked to do different things for our vacation.
That particular summer, we vacationed in Cape Cod.
We rented a house and enjoyed the scenery and the history in the area.
We visited Plymouth Rock and my children were surprised that it was not bigger.
Three of them went on a replica of the Mayflower with their dad.
I sat on a bench and waited since our youngest son was only five months old at the time.
The children loved collecting sea shells and going to the beach.
We had gone over to Martha’s Vineyard.
The children loved taking the ferry and I loved looking at all the colorful Victorian houses.
My husband wanted to take us whale watching before our vacation week was over.
We were all excited about seeing the large whales that we had only read about in books.
As he was buying the tickets for our excursion, the man behind the counter spoke to him.
It may be a little rough out there today; the water is very choppy, he said looking at all of us.
I’m sure we will be fine, my husband said confidently.
Have you all been on a boat before? He asked still looking at each of our faces.
Before my husband could answer, the man got distracted by something that needed attention.
Have you? I asked my husband, knowing full well that I had never been on a boat.
He just smiled without answering, which told me more than I wanted to know.
There will be a tour guide, someone is steering the boat; we will be just fine, he remarked.
The sun hid behind a cloud that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
We all had light jackets on for the breeze that we would inevitably experience on the boat.
At least we won’t get sunburned, my husband said trying to be positive.
Watching the clouds, sunburn was the least of my worries.
Tickets in hand, we got on the boat with the other passengers.
We’re off to see the whales, my husband said enthusiastically.
The three older children shared the excitement of his mood.
I went inside the cabin since the smell of fuel was so strong on the deck.
I sat in the cabin with our youngest son who was asleep in his stroller.
We were told about the safety precautions.
We were reminded of the rules while on the boat.
We were told about what we could expect to see on our excursion.
As we got out to sea, the water was as choppy as the man had said.
The sun was still nowhere to be found.
The boat lurched from side to side.
I began to smell the fuel even in the cabin.
By this time, my husband and children who had been on the deck had come inside.
The wind was getting stronger.
The water was getting rougher.
I needed air.
I left the cabin, left my husband and three of our four children and got sick.
When I regained my sea legs, I went back to my family.
My husband and two of our children were a lovely shade of green.
I searched for our oldest daughter who was not in the cabin with the others.
Where is she? I asked my husband who still looked terribly ashen.
He looked up at me and pointed toward the deck.
I looked out and there she was standing on the deck with her hands raised in the wind.
She was thoroughly delighted, the wind blowing her long hair all across her face.
The rough water was no problem for her.
Only a few brave people were out there.
She was in full view of my husband the whole time, when his head was not in his hands.
She had the look of pure amazement on her face without a hint of green.
Most people on the boat were seasick.
Only a handful got to see the wonders all around them.
The whale that came to the surface spouting water was a sight that only they could claim to see.
A school of dolphins that danced in and out of the water was seen by only a few.
Same boat; different outcomes.
Two very different experiences.
None of us saw any of the wonders that my oldest daughter saw that day.
Only she and her baby brother in the stroller handled the rough water without getting sick.
The captain of the boat apologized to all of us.
We should have cancelled the excursion, refunded your money, or given you another time slot.
Perhaps.
However, for our oldest daughter, the whale watching trip was an amazing experience.
I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)
We got off the boat and went back through the ticket office.
Many of the workers were there to see if anyone needed anything.
We all looked just awful.
All but our daughter and our son who was sleeping in his stroller.
Well, she looks no worse for wear, one of the men said pointing to our oldest daughter.
I asked one of the men why some people get seasick and others do not.
When you are inside a cabin on a ship, your eyes do not see movement.
However, your inner ear senses it, he explained.
Your eyes are telling your brain there is no movement.
However, your inner ear is telling the brain there is movement.
The result in some people is seasickness.
The best thing to do is look toward the horizon, he added.
Our oldest daughter constantly looked at the horizon as she stood on the deck.
She kept her eyes fixed on an immovable point of reference.
She saw motion and she felt motion.
That fixed point gave her a sense of balance that the rest of us did not have.
This truth applies to our life.
Jesus must be our Horizon, our immovable point of reference.
We see and feel the motion all around us but we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
He is our steady; He gives us our sea legs.
With Jesus, we can stand.
With Jesus, we will not be shaken.
With our eyes fixed on Jesus the winds of this world may blow but we will be able to stand.
We will always be able to stand.
I’ve been reading faithfully, dear friend. I think I even wrote a comment a week or so ago that didn’t get posted — and I can’t remember what it was about or even what happened that it didn’t get sent. But just so you know, I’m blessed so often by the observations and you make me look at the things in my life with a bit more notice.
And this post made me laugh. Our family is about as “unseaworthy” as elephants in a rowboat. One time when my whole big extended family went on a fishing trip with Aunts and uncles and some of the sixty cousins and spouses and some of the next generation as well, poor Lem got the prize for being the first one to throw up! And my husband, though he will take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry every now and then for “fun,” has decided that, it doesn’t matter who asks or what the prize is, he doesn’t have to be getting on a boat that is smaller than a ferry boat on seas that are anything but smooth. I haven’t been out very often — maybe once on a fishing boat, but if I have to be taking care of my seasick family, I’m inclined to just not go. There’s plenty of other things to do for fun. Although, honestly, I’m not inclined to motion sickness. I’ve always been able to read in a car, do bookwork while riding shotgun, and anything my seatbelt will allow me to do. (Watch me get sick the next time I’m on a trip!) Anyhow, even without getting sick, I have a burning desire to keep on solid ground. I fly because I want to go away with my husband, but that wouldn’t be my choice, either. However, I am going to suggest to Daniel about keeping his eye on the horizon. I think that would be helpful to him if he ever decides to put himself into such a predicament again. And the reminder about keeping our eyes on Jesus as the “horizon” of our lives — that is very timely for me again this morning. There are a thousand things that distract us – worries about our children and grandchildren, illness among friends that is serious, financial reversals and losses within our extended family, a cousin who is fighting addiction and despair, decisions to be made about our lives and our retirement with age and health concerns to consider, — just so many things seeking to obscure the Horizon when a clear vision is needed. So once again, Thanks! Your post is spot on!
Mary Ann,
Kindred spirits, you and I. Jesus is our horizon. How blessed we are!
Gina