Turning Around

 

Turning Around

Jen writes:

Lent is just around the corner with its theme to repent.  Turn around.  Re-set your relationship with the Immanuel who craves a relationship.  A healthy and honest and lasting relationship that is headed toward a future that is hopeful.

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven

Even when we were six time zones away, we had also been turning.  We shared this.  But we evidently weren’t clear about where we’re headed. 

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

When we left the warm waters of Hawaii and headed westward to the many Polynesian islands, we learned that Covid restrictions no longer guaranteed that ports would be opened in Japan, Asia, and Africa.  The around-the-world tour no longer was.  But this didn’t have to be the end of the cruise; we had an option to stay on the tour and become “the little ship that could.”  We could still travel.  We could still keep a crew of 420 employed.  We could still sail toward God’s beauteous creation.  Those who wished to be refunded a portion of the trip were able to disembark in Bora Bora or sail for the nine days and disembark in Los Angeles.  Ultimately, about 11% of the passengers opted to end their tour.          Before reaching American shores, however, another ship-wide antigen test was necessary.  For the 2nd time in a row, all passengers tested negative.  We are now committed to proving to the travel industry that turning doesn’t have to be retreating. 

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

Our small but mighty crowd of shipmates is heading toward a future we didn’t choose but we are ready to make the most of where the bow points: traversing the Panama Canal from the west this time, bouncing among the multinational Caribbean islands; cruising the Atlantic Ocean for six days; tasting the Mediterranean areas of Morocco, Israel, Greece and Turkey; exploring the Ionian Sea’s jewels in Croatia, Albania, and Italy; journeying the coastlines of Spain, Portugal, and France; roaming northwest to Norway, Denmark, Poland, the Baltics, Russia, and Sweden; rejoining the original European tour and then hightailing it to New York for July 4.

May your own Lenten journey point you in a direction of hope.

                             

                                            

 

 

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