On Being Exceptional Children of the King

My blogging perch for the evening

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Happy Mother's Day!

We're still healthy on the Africa Mercy. I hope to go home in June and then return to the ship when it is possible, but it's not clear at this point when that will be. I may seek temporary employment and/or take an online class while I'm home. That's about all I have for an update, and this info is on the "Fundraising" page that is linked at the top of the page (or in the drop-down menu if you're on your phone). The rest of this post is thoughts and reflections since my last update. Don't hesitate to send me specific questions that you may have!

For better or for worse, there are a lot of new rules about how to function in the time of COVID-19. But most of these rules have exceptions. 

And when you have 200+ people between the ages of 0 and 72 who come from over 30 different countries and who are all basically in the same household because we live and work and eat practically on top of each other in the same 152-meter floating metal box that also sometimes doubles as a hospital, arriving from West Africa by sea to be welcomed by a country that none of us are from without any stamps in our passports--I guess something about that makes us "exceptional".

Sometimes being exceptional doesn't help. But other times, it works in our favor.

Impromptu worship on Deck 8 organized by a couple of crew

One of the highs of last week was Wednesday morning, when the Captain announced that the crew had received permission to go on the dock under the same Spanish laws that allow nationals to walk around their neighborhoods. After spending more than a month on the ship, what an awesome gift!

In Spain, specific times for walking outside are separated by age. So the children under 14 got to go outside first, from noon to 7pm. Other crew went up to the top decks to watch the "pioneers" descend the gangway, cheering as they explored the new territory. As for all the other adults, it was our turn at 8pm, and our faces say it all.

In Reception, counting down the seconds until 8pm!

It was lovely to stretch our legs for a few days! Unfortunately, early Saturday morning we learned that there had been a misunderstanding, and they needed us to stay off the dock again until further notice. In this instance, our exceptional circumstances aren't working in our favor, but we're praying that this privilege opens back up next week!

Walks on deck 8 will have to do for now. No complaints about the views here :)

But sometimes these exceptions mean that we're very lucky, like the fact that we get to be together, and that we're all healthy, and we're able to embrace each other, even if it's to say goodbye to members of our "ship family" as they go home. How many people get to do that right now?

The chaplain who delivered the teaching at this morning's service said, "You're a child of the King! Don't act like an orphan!" Her message was very thought-provoking as she encouraged us to embrace that identity, and I've been thinking all day about what that means.

God doesn't forget one of his children. He counts each of our hairs, for crying out loud! Knowing this, what business do we have living powerless lives, thinking that anything we do is meaningless? It not only makes me consider the activities I'm choosing to fill my time, but also the manner in which I pursue them. Are there things I'm doing that I believe to be meaningless? That could be a sign that something needs to be pruned from my schedule. But it could also be a sign that my heart towards that activity needs to change. Have I surrendered this activity to my Father's direction? Could that be what makes all the difference? From that perspective, even the smallest of deeds can move mountains.

Making cookies with the Youth Group. 

The other day, the youth group made cookies. As they shared them to crew around the ship, they also offered to pray for them. It was amazing to see how stress and pressure seemed to visibly melt off of crew members when they were shown such a small random act of kindness! And it was also amazing to see the youth gain momentum. At first, they were slightly nervous to pray for crew who they usually don't interact with. But they became increasingly excited to pray for each new person. Watching this act of encouragement was encouraging for me as well. Isn't it amazing how these things multiply?

Do any of us know what the coming months hold? Rather than fighting it, we're learning to relax into the "not knowing". It really does force me to lean hard on God, and I realized it's been a while since I've done so. Maybe you've experienced the same thing? I pray so.

Just to share a few other positive stories of amazing deeds and creativity. I just can't get enough of stuff like this!

• Some Good News with John Krasinski
• Rival gangs teaming up to help their community in South Africa
• $1 million in Mother's Day flower baskets for seniors
• I love hearing about celebrities who redirect their talents towards COVID-19 relief. Just wow :)
• Opera singing couple holds concerts in their driveway to bring their neighborhood together

This song was playing as I walked through the dining room the other day, and the line that says "I'll be patient one more month" made me smile. Life may be weird right now, but life is so much more than just right now. :)

This is a secular song about an earthly father contemplating his limits, and the kind of father he wants to be. But when I listen to it, somehow the focus on our human limits makes the reality of our heavenly father who numbers the hairs on our heads even sweeter.