Manna Monday- Thoughts on a Ferry

F---A---I---T---H
(This post was born in my brain while sitting in a rental car on a ferry boat in the Caribbean this past June while my husband and I celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary.)

FYI-To get to the island we were vacationing on, we boarded a local ferry boat. To get back to the island where the airport was located at we boarded the same ferry boat again upon departure. 

Upon Arrival I didn't think much about having to ride on a ferry boat in our rental car to get to the island we were staying on. But because I'm a big girl I didn't lose my cool. I wasn't scared..really...I just had never experienced it before. I didn't know what to expect. (My first trip turned out great.)

Moving on....

Upon Departure we waited in line at the ferry dock to return to the island where the airport was located. Dockside, to my left, was a white, dirty, smelly garbage truck. Both the driver and the other worker were at a stand still with both doors opened. The worker on the passenger side sat with his propped up on the dash while the driver hunched over his steering wheel gazing at the ferry.

Me: "hmmmm.... I wonder what they are doing here?"

My husband: "I don't know. They probably will board the ferry."

Me: Surely not!

My husband: "Well, why else would they be here? They probably have other places on their route on the other island."

Me: thinking......

Me: thinking......

The Scene: car # 1 boards the ferry, #2, #3, #4, then our turn. We back up into the ferry and wait. The air is on keeping us cool- it's hot! It's a Sunday morning and we find a Christian channel on the radio- actually Moody radio! YAY!!! Enjoying the sermon that morning as the sun shines brightly while sitting in the rental car on the ferry. Still looking back at the garbage truck on the dockside and still thinking...

Garbage Truck: Still waiting by the dock. No movement. More cars are boarding the ferry boat.

Me: thinking. looking. wondering. listening to the sermon.

The Scene: A red dump truck drives up and waits behind the dump truck.

Me: thinking, "Not the dump truck too!!"

The Scene:Yep the garbage truck and the dump truck too! Guess who the dump truck parked next to on the ferry? hmm hmm....us!!!

Me: Feeling a little claustrophobic. Need some fresh air. Must get out. Can't get out because the dump truck is so close to our car. One whiff of its smelly aroma reminded me it would not be a good idea to travel to the top of the ferry to seek fresh air. The air inside my car is just fine!!!

I felt trapped and frustrated. I wanted to SEE the ocean and SEE where the boat was headed and that I was going to be OK and make it across to the island.

Oh me of little faith!

But as I always say, God is always teaching us lessons if we will just pay attention. That's what He was doing with me that morning.

As I sat in the car feeling pinned in between the garbage truck, and the high wall of the boat, I began to think about faith. How trusting everyone was who boarded the ferry boat. It seemed easier for them to board the ferry than trust in Jesus. It was nothing to ride with the garbage truck for the locals. But for me, I couldn't see where we were going or if we would be alright. I felt out of control. Why did I feel this way? I think it was because of the largeness of both the garbage and dump truck. I kept thinking, "They are too big, what if they make us sink? What if something happens to the boat? What if the garbage truck doesn't have its parking brakes on and it smooshes into our car?"

Quickly, GOD reminded me of the verse, " for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) ESV.

Me: Oh.... OK God! I get it.

I wasn't supposed to see the ocean that day. I wasn't supposed to get out of the car. I was supposed to trust God and enjoy the ride. It's easy to trust God when everything on the ferry boat looks good and normal. (My first ferry boat only had cars and pick up trucks.) But upon departure, things looked different. They looked big and large and I wondered how it would all work out. The largeness of it made me question if I would be OK?

Riding on the ferry boat is like life. God is in control of the boat. He knows what He can load and unload. He knows our direction and destination. He knows what we can handle and what we cannot. And through it all, we are supposed to trust Him completely by faith, not by sight. We are to look to Him in faith and not fear. We are to remember He is with us and is control. We aren't supposed to be fixated on our situation but solely on our God.