Greg and I are on the last day of a short cruise that took in several stops in British Columbia. Today’s the last day, and it’s a “sea day,” a day when the ship doesn’t dock anywhere. Today in my Gospel reading, I happened on Mark 6:30-32:

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

So they departed to a deserted place in a boat by themselves.

That’s what it feels like sometimes, as if something is telling you that it’s time to “come aside” to a deserted place and rest. Greg and I are contemplating some big changes in our business right now. If things go off as planned, the changes will all be for the better, but of course there’s no guarantee of that. And in any case, things will be very different. We’ll be much busier. We’ll have greater responsibilities and less time overall. It’s just as well this cruise came up when it did, though we sort of blundered into it. I think we were much in need of a chance to catch our breath in a ‘deserted place.’

You wouldn’t think a cruise ship would qualify, but rising this morning, I had the upper deck more or less to myself. It was just too nasty-cold for any sane person to be out there. I had some idea that it would be lovely to say my morning prayers looking out over the ocean. And so it was, but there was also something just desolate about it. Looking out over the ocean on all sides, there was just a faint outline of land far in the distance. It was like looking over an undulating desert with an unreachable oasis rising like a mirage on the horizon.

And the wind was just brutal. I made an attempt to go up to the highest deck at the fore of the ship, but I didn’t last long. The wind didn’t just buffet me with its icy gusts, it almost slapped me. I had been glad to leave the constant musical soundtrack of cheap pop music behind me, but I hadn’t reckoned on how the ceaseless howling of the wind would sound. I had to plant my feet to keep from falling down. I beat a hasty retreat and found a slightly protected deck facing the rising sun from which I could say my prayers.

When I went inside to get something hot and try to recover some feeling in my cheeks and ears, I thought it was very profound to read Psalm 48, especially the highlighted verse:

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city ofour God, in His holy mountain.

For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. … They saw it and they marveled. … Fear took hold of them there … as when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

For this is our God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

It is very important from time to time to see things much bigger than yourself, things you can wonder at and be afraid of, but also feel like you can be a part of. That’s what I think I want when I come aside to a deserted place. You have to just hope that it carries you through all the times when people are coming and going and you don’t even have time to eat. Let’s hope that it does.