The Way I Feel Tonight, Everything Will Be Alright

I have never been good at adjusting to changes in my life. I prefer to be sitting in the driver's seat in full control, or at least I like to think I am. The problem is that life is not like that. As much as we desire control in reality we have very little if any. That does not mean that we don't have a responsibility to do the right things, to be cautious, and to strive to reach goals. We do have some control over our lives, just never full control. Life has too many facets for us to be able to navigate on our own.

I have been following the blog of a young girl who is attempting to be the youngest person to complete an unassisted solo circumnavigation of the world. Her name is Abby and she is 16 years old. Her journey began on January 23 of this year in California and she is now somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She is the sole occupant of her sailboat and has not laid eyes on another human since her journey began. For almost three months she has been alone at sea. It is her intention to sail completely around the world without stepping foot on land. She is the sole person steering her craft but that does not mean that her course is the one she had planned. The wind and the waves determine much of what happens and her pace is not decided by her but by God. She has tried to prepare for every possible scenario but the possibilities are too numerous to imagine. There have already been many things that she has had to deal with in her short journey. Her autopilot has gone out and her backup autopilot had a hydraulic leak both of which she alone had to repair. She is battling the wind, waves, and temperatures. She is almost always wet and has sailed in temperatures in the lower 40's for much of the trip so far.

She chose the course she is taking because she fears pirates. She is hoping to avoid them by staying (for the most part) at least 100 miles from land for most of the trip. I think about the strength this young woman possesses often. I am amazed at her courage and wisdom. Most people will never mature in their lifetime to the point that this young woman has in her short 16 years on this earth. She inspires me, humbles me, and fills me with awe at the strength of the human spirit. So tonight, as most nights, I am thinking of Abby somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, alone and content. Steering her ship while all the time knowing she is not in full control of her course; constantly having to adjust her plans to those of nature.

I think Abby has many lessons to teach us if we will only be open to receive them. She has taught me that I should have a plan in mind but expect for things not to go the way I would like. During these times I should not loose hope but instead plot a new course that points me toward my destination. I need to fight like everything depends on me, but keep my faith in God knowing that He is in control. His plans are far above my plans, even when His plans are hard to accept. So tonight I am turning on my auto pilot and am going to rest easy knowing that my God is in full control. ; ) Sorry DSC I had to use that title since it so perfectly fit.