Deuteronomy 4:35 “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides Him there is no other.”
As I write this, I am sitting on our bed in our cabin on the Westerdam and I am looking out from the glass French doors that lead out to our balcony; the water is deep green; it is still and glassy. Across from our ship sit two other huge ships, the Disney Wonder and the Grand Princess, but they are dwarfed by majestic jagged mountain tops with rocky peaks covered with snow. It is peaceful and quiet, and for a moment, I imagined there was no pier, no dock, no shops or restaurants, and I attempted to look past it all to breathe in the wild landscape and evergreen trees dotting the steep face of the thick fingered hills with deep crevices that led up to the snow line. Every worry and every fear seemed to fade away into the distance and all of a sudden there was not a care in the world; time stood still and the century could have been unknown here in the wild, uncultivated and untamed wilderness that loomed before me. It is here in the tranquil serenity I sensed the nearness of my Heavenly Father calling me to the leather bound, worn book that laid on the table near the bed, wooing me to Him, drawing me in so He could speak life into my thirsty soul. I so needed to be fed, and to be filled, and the longing in my spirit brought me to the one true place where I could drink in the soothing balm of His written Word. Yet even here in the untouched beauty of Alaska, my soul hungered for truth, for something deeper than my surroundings, something that would quell the tide of unsettling emotions flowing beneath the surface of my being, in the secret hidden inner places that caught me off guard when a reminder of my son would trigger the moisture in my eyes and the lump in my throat.
Job 5:26 says, “You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.” We booked this cruise to celebrate my 57th birthday, and as I thought about all the years I had lived and the onward and upward journey of my age, I came to the conclusion that I had indeed been given an incredible life. Despite the tears, the heartaches, the sadness and the tragedies that have transpired, the laughter, the exhilaration, the happiness and the sweet joyful moments have pushed through the dark days to shine brightly, radiating highlighted seasons that always seem to rise above the difficulties to remind me of the blessed fruitfulness of a life well lived. Louis Albert Banks said, “There is also a great difference between the quality of elderly people who have lived listless, self-indulgent, and useless lives and the quality of those who have sailed through rough seas, carrying cargo and burdens as servants of God as helpers of others. In the latter group, not only has the stress and strain of life seeped into their lives, but the aroma of the sweetness of their cargo has also been absorbed into the very pores of each fiber of their character.” The 22 years of being a caregiver to a disabled child have taught me the gift of servanthood that has permeated into a such a sweet sensitivity to others in need.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” My favorite time of the day is watching the sunset over the horizon, and as the red and orange hues light up the sky in a soft glow, it is in these moments that the early evening beauty of God’s creation becomes most evident and proclaims the glory of the work of His hands. In the same way, when a person’s life comes to an end, their life does not just end there; they will always leave the best part of them behind. Focusing on God and all of His beauty, His majesty and His glorious splendid creation, causes my heart to soar and draw near to Him, which in turn liberates and frees my soul to dance and sing once again. And when I look to the snow covered mountains and the vast seas, there is a peace that settles into the cracks and crevices of my being, and I know I have been shown these things so I would remember that the Lord is God and there is no other.
– Melody
