Tip of My Iceberg

We were on a ferry from the Aran Islands heading back to the mainland of Ireland. These are a group of three islands off the west coast of the Emerald Isle, and we were returning from the largest of the three, Inishmore. It had been raining for several hours, and the wind had started to pick up.

A few in our group chose to go to the upper deck to be part of the great outdoors, as we ferried back to Galway. I’d been cold for most of this trip, so I opted for the covered lower deck with most of our group.

The ferry was full, so several of us were standing along the side, holding on to whatever was sturdy enough to keep us upright. The boat rocked back and forth with the waves, and it became obvious that several were not cut out for the rolling. People were improvising what would be useful for catching their returning lunch.

Part of this return trip to the mainland was to give us a chance to see the Cliffs of Moher, which soar up to 702 feet above the Atlantic Ocean with beautiful views of the surrounding coastline. The name Moher means “ruined fort”, reminiscent of the fort that once stood on the site. Part of the anticipation for me was that several of my favorite movies have been filmed there, including “Princess Bride” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.

Never got to see any of it.

While on the boat, with the waves increasing in size, a rogue wave hit the side of the ferry, broke a window, and water came rushing in, causing those with green faces to look increasingly like the Grinch.

Our tour guide decided to forego the Cliffs of Moher in the interest of several of our group who had filled more little bags than they wanted. It would have been an impossibility to see the cliffs; the mist and rain were too thick to view them.

Great disappointment.

Change happens consistently in life. We have very little control over what happens beyond our own ability to choose our responses; crises arise, the unexpected becomes a new reality, and disappointment lurks around many corners.

Life can look like an outrageous gamble. We make plans expecting the outcomes to be what we’d hoped for, but it really is the roll of the dice — uncontrollable situations around us — that determine what happens.

Nobody wants to live by the whim of chance.

The disciples were clueless when Jesus was sharing with them why He needed to be crucified, to die for us so we may live. All they knew was that, after three years with Him, they felt they needed more time, more understanding. The narrative they’d understood wasn’t what Jesus was talking about.

He clarified a bigger picture for them.

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world, you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” John 16:33

Jesus wasn’t claiming victory over all the evil people in the world; He was claiming an eternal victory BECAUSE of His sacrifice on the cross, a win better than living forever with the consequences of the many mistakes we make.

Jesus guaranteed us we would have troubles in this world. It’s not an “if” situation, but a “when”. He’s our sufficiency in dealing with the troubles, changes, and challenges. He’s not telling us we’ll know what’s coming so we can prepare for it; He’s letting us know that when what’s coming grabs us, He will give us what we need to handle it.

We were all greatly disappointed that what we’d been promised didn’t happen. The Cliffs of Moher would have been a delight, but what can you do about unexpected weather?

Life is full of the unexpected and unplanned. Jesus promises He can help us handle it.

Do you feel confident in dealing with random acts of upheaval in your life?