SOS

The mighty thunderous roar of the storm battled around this beautifully breathtaking cruise ship. The ship, which was made to bring calm, peaceful bliss to people, was now locked in the battle of her life being tossed to and fro just waiting for this enormous ocean to swallow her whole. How was it that the water, which represented peace and tranquility, usually, brought now the threat to steal away every part of what this cruise liner was designed to do?  Bring solace and comfort and calm to its passengers. Now, being overtaken by this storm, the cruise liner had become just the opposite. A threat to the very lives of the people that once only came to her for strength, comfort and love.

Slowly sinking, the gaping holes in the sides of the ship left no comfort to those trying to save the ship from its ultimate demise.  Desperately trying to patch the holes to keep it afloat, the love that these people had for this ship was clearly seen through the attempts to save her, but it seemed endless and to no avail. Had you or I been looking, we would’ve thought them crazy, but we wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty that this ship had brought to their lives. The days and nights of laughter and calm that this ship had brought to them left them feeling like they owed it to this ship to pull out all of the stops to save it from this deafening, wrenching storm which seemed to be taking out her very soul.

The confusion of the storm had everyone running, patching, dumping and searching for ways to bring peace. Ideas flew about as each person came up with their own way to save the ship being tossed carelessly to and fro. One thing was certain. This ship could not save itself. One crew mate was sure that this ship needed his strength to hold onto to bow and keep it steady. Another crew mate felt like his job was to yell orders to all of those around him on how to save the ship. Yet another found herself trying to get to the bottom of the ship and trying to dig through the clutter to find the one leaking engine that could save the ship from sinking. Another was yelling at the storm, saying that this was not forecasted or part of the plan. Another had been hit by the pain of the possible loss of the huge ship and was sitting in the hallway begging for the pain to go away. All of these things, all though noble and caring weren’t seeming to help or save the ship as it sunk lower and lower beneath the crashing waves of this brutally attacking storm.

Then, faintly over the crackled barely working speakers came a tune familiar to this crew. It had been a tune that had been one that had represented this ship so well, almost as if it was written for this ship and for this crew. This song had played during the good and beautiful times and now almost seemed to be taunting them as it played now. Slowly it beckoned them all and they found themselves drawn to the place of its origination. On the front deck, as each person came from their post of protecting, or pain, or fixing, they saw each other. This was the first time that it hit each one of them how much this storm had taken its toll on them all. Everyone a little tattered and exhausted gathered around. The one that had been shouting orders grabbed the hand of the pain-filled one and they all quickly followed suit. Gathering in one giant circle, they quietly listened solemnly to the tune of this once, life-giving song.

As each voice joined together quietly singing, their one voice got louder and more powerful and the storm seemed to fade into the background for the first time in a long time. Their voices seemed to blend as one and get louder as the words of the song seemed to overwhelm the noise of the sea. Standing together, the circle seemed to get bigger as it seemed to beckon to the others around the ship. Soon, standing on the deck, you could see the storm all around them but in the middle, there was a calm, restful beauty that was only found in the security that each one had found in each other. 

They stayed there all night long until the Sun brought a New Morning, a New Day,  a New Light and by doing so, overcame the dark, looming, devastation of the storm.

They sat down finally looking across from each other wondering what just happened to her ship, how they could save her from this sort of thing again. They couldn't seem to find an answer. What they did know for sure was that they needed each other. The strength that had come from the outreached hand, the familiar song, the circle of love was what had kept them alive until the morning came. Standing together, they came up with a plan for the next storm. To grab a hand, hold on and find the comfort in the eyes of one another until the Sun stormed   through the clouds and rose again.