Just days after Christmas, I took my final ferry trip of the year.聽 After several days on a most pleasant business trip, I was heading home. In view of having a totally relaxing experience I鈥檇 chosen to take the bus; not only was it less expensive, it was less stressful than driving up British Columbia鈥檚 winding Sunshine Coast. The water was flat and I looked forward to a non-eventful 50 minute sailing. After exiting the bus, I hurried up to the passenger deck, grabbed a cup of tea in the caf茅 and then seated myself next to a portside window. Shortly afterwards I heard the engines kick in and with a shudder the ship began to back out of the dock. There was nothing extraordinary about it; in fact, it couldn鈥檛 have been more ordinary.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That鈥檚 when I heard the delightful voice of an excited little boy, 鈥淒addy, look!鈥 he called, 鈥淟ook, the water鈥檚 moving.鈥
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I instinctively looked out to confirm what I already knew: although it was the ship that was in motion, to an inexperienced eye, it seemed as if the water was doing the propelling instead of the vessel鈥檚 engines. It definitely was a matter of perception.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Life can be a lot like that, a matter of perception. Viewing the chaos of world conditions and the all-too-frequent questions that living can bring, emotions can be mixed. What鈥檚 behind my current situation? Who鈥檚 in charge of these circumstances? Is it the boat or the water that moving all around me?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their waves,鈥 wrote one of the psalmists but then, in a declaration of praise he continued. 鈥淭he Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea!鈥
聽 聽 聽 聽Come ship or sea, He reigns!