We board the cruise ship, my
daughter and I, full of excitement and anticipation for the journey ahead.1 When I saw the advertisement just a few weeks
ago for an island getaway, and when my husband offered us the use of his
frequent-flyer miles to get to the port, how could I pass up the
opportunity? This is the first time being
away from my special-needs foster child in over a year, and I am greatly
looking forward to the respite. To a
chance to recharge and rejuvenate, returning home at the end of the trip with
renewed joy and resolve. Caribbean, here
we come!
Although it isn’t quite noon yet
when we climb aboard, already there are people at the bars, drinking their
margaritas, rum and other tropical drinks with colorful umbrellas poking out
the top. The clanging bells, bright
lights, and blaring music coming from the doorway to the casino let me know
that the gambling has already begun.
We take our bags to our little cabin
on the starboard side of the vessel, and pick up the welcome packet waiting for
us there. This “fun ship” has every
amenity, every service to pamper and indulge.
European spa treatments, deep-tissue massages, and body-sculpting
classes with a personal trainer. Private
photo sessions with a professional photographer. Nightly comedy shows, music of every variety,
outdoor movies by the pool, duty-free shopping onboard, an art auction, 24-hour
made-to-order pizza. Round the clock ice-cream. Every opulence and luxury to spoil guests and
help them forget, if only for a few days, the real world and all of its
responsibilities.
We decide to take a walk around the
ship and explore everything there is to see and do. Of course, it is the people, the other
passengers, who are the most interesting to watch. It’s almost painful to see the scantily-clad
young lady in the Jacuzzi who is shamelessly flirting with the young man sitting
across from her. There is the older
couple sitting at a table for two, maybe on this cruise to celebrate an
anniversary? She is engrossed in her novel and he is returning
for 2nds and then 3rds at the all-you-can-eat buffet.
We are looking forward to dinner
tonight, tasting the award-winning cuisine prepared by a world-class chef. For me, a stay-at-home mother who never goes
out to dinner and most days just throws on comfy jeans and t-shirts, having the
opportunity to dress up and put make-up on, and then to eat delicious food that
I did not prepare for myself is a treat indeed!
The meal is every bit as delicious
as we had anticipated! My daughter
bravely orders the Escargot Bourguinonne, something she would never be able to
try at home, and I relish every bite of my fresh chilled Gazpacho soup and
Moroccan-spiced sweet-potato soufflé.
And what could be more heavenly than strawberry cheesecake for dessert?
Sitting next to us at our table just
happens to be another mother and daughter traveling together. I like them instantly, and within minutes we learn
their story. Although the elderly mother
lost her husband almost ten years ago, she has never quite gotten over the grief
of her loss. And yet she bravely carries
on, even offering to raise her great-grandchildren when their mother was unable
to do so. Her daughter had invited her
mother on this cruise, hoping that it would be a fun adventure for them both. And indeed, just as my own daughter and I
have experienced, the preparations and anticipation for this vacation have been
a bright spot in their lives. I’m so
thankful that, out of all the thousands of people on this cruise, these two
ladies are our dinner companions!
After dinner, my daughter and I go
to the auditorium to get seats for tonight’s Broadway-style show. The pre-show activity is a Bingo game, which
sounds like fun until I hear that the cost for each Bingo card is the low, low
price of $25. I am shocked! I am even
more surprised to see the long line of people waiting to purchase cards! For me, a frugal member of a single-income
family who has to talk myself into buying a specialty coffee on special
occasions, I truly cannot understand what would motivate someone to spend his
or her hard-earned money on something so frivolous! Perhaps the prize is the incentive: $500 off
of the bar tab. Seriously?! How high are these bar tabs going to get,
anyway?
On our way back to our cabin, we stop
to look at the wall-sized map, trying to guess where in the middle of the ocean
we are, and locating the tiny islands where we are currently heading. A middle-aged couple stops to examine the map
as well. I can tell from their accents that they are from somewhere in the
United Kingdom, but when I ask where they are from, the man is so inebriated
that he cannot remember the name of his home town, and his wife (or
girlfriend?) thinks that this is hilarious.
As I sit in the quietness of our
cabin at the end of this embarking day, I contemplate all that I have seen and
encountered the past few hours. Music,
food, shows, distractions. And most of
all, the people. People from all walks
of life. People just like me, who are
attempting to escape life’s burdensome responsibilities for a few days. People who need God’s love and grace just as
much as I do.
For me, a busy foster mama whose obligations
and difficulties at home can sometimes feel overwhelming, I thought I was
taking this vacation to rest and rejuvenate and restore my weariness. I thought I needed a respite from serving and
giving, loving and ministering to the needy children who are ever in my care.
But now I realize that the Lord
might have had another purpose in mind. Although
I am deeply grateful for a few days to bask in the sun, I realize that I don’t need a Caribbean vacation in order to
find peace. What I really need is to
remember. To remember, once again, that
God’s love is the only thing that will truly satisfy the deep longings of my
heart. That He is the One whose promises
fill my empty soul.
When the storms of life are raging
and I feel as if I’m drowning, I do not need to fear. After all, I know the Rescuer! The One whose strength is sufficient for me.2 The only One who is able to provide the peace
and joy that I so desperately seek! I do
not need to travel to the ends of the earth . . . His love is just as real and just as powerful in my own home as it is on this boat. No matter where I am I can
find refuge in Him. How thankful I am
for His unfailing love!!3
1.
In case you’re
wondering, here is the reason I am vacationing with my daughter instead of with
my husband: The Relay
Team
2.
“My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians
12:9
3.
“How priceless
is your unfailing love! Both high and
low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” – Psalm 36:7
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