Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A TRIP OF MY LIFETIME


Scripture tells us that God will meet us where we are. He doesn’t expect us all to be on the same page. This “thing” called a Spiritual Journey comes in all shapes, sizes, lengths and depths. It grows over time and sometimes it even shrinks. It’s affected by life’s challenges, our own willingness and many times impeded by our selfish desires. We often think we can control it and very often we try. But wherever we are and no matter how long it’s taken us….or how long we’ve turned away……God WILL meet us WHEREVER we are.

I've been in just about every scenario mentioned above but consider this…..God meets us where we are….LITERALLY!  I SAW HIM! I FELT Him! I could SMELL Him. There isn't a sense that God gave me that was not heightened by my experience. I saw Him in the sunshine.  I felt Him gently touch my skin with the warm breeze. I could smell Him in the salty sea air. He dazzled me with the waters of the Caribbean. He awed me with the magnificence of a huge ship, created by human hands that He blessed with a God-given talent to design and build.
God was present….oh so present….in the smile on my husband’s face when served beautiful meals, in pictures taken and when he held my hand. God was available to move his heart when he said “maybe we can do this again next year”.  God showed up big time in all the wonderful conversations we had with “strangers” that weren’t strangers at all the next time we saw them around the ship. God was so apparent in the smiles on everyone’s faces…..and their relaxed carefree attitudes. God stopped by in the giggles of the little children, their happy, content parents and their proud smiles when people commented on how cute they were or how well behaved they were. God definitely moved my heart when I saw tiny two year old twin girls, Makenzie and Paige. I HAD to have conversation with their parents and remark how very cute they were!  I have a wise friend that said “you know God is in every sunrise and every sunset?”. She was right on the money. We made it a point to see each one!  I watched the sunrise as I worked out in the Shipshape Center each morning and watched it set (with my main man) after beautifully prepared and amazingly delicious meals were lovingly served to us each evening.


 I saw God each time we returned to our room and saw the special things our cabin attendant did for us and in the wonderful way he took care of us.  We were pampered and loved the entire time, not just by people, but by actions, circumstances, surroundings. God, in his infinite wisdom, orchestrated this entire trip.  Being invited to dinner by friends, wonderful conversation and then……THE INVITE! “Go on a cruise with us”. REALLY???? ……and the husband that said yes…..and how all the plans fell perfectly into place with a few minor glitches that simply could not steal our joy……Yes, God will meet you where you are AND God will meet you WHERE you are!! So incredibly blessed to have had this experience. It was absolutely God ordained! Praising Him who carried us safely and then gently deposited us back into reality.  


"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen."

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing :~) So glad that you had such a great experience of God's love! I can't help but think that a huge part of that is because your heart was seeking Him, which is something that we can all do no matter where we are :~)And, Bill is now open to doing this again :~)My heart is smiling for you! Love, Terry

Rest in his arms....

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If ...