The time had finally come. We could hardly believe it. After two years in the making we were actually moving aboard! We were excited and giddy, delighted and thrilled! Thankfulness filled our hearts and joy welled up in our souls! We were calling “Hope” our home!
But I can’t say it was all easy. The planning was intense, and the work before us was still immense. We had to take each project and action item one step at a time. There were days when the tasks seemed overwhelming. Our assignments included: understanding the boat, figuring out how to live on the boat, maintaining the boat, operating the boat, ensuring safety on the boat, and on and on. We were overloaded with work, but when we remembered how much we had already done (by the grace of God), we knew we could get through this too!
I managed the tasks of cleaning the boat, getting our belongings from storage, moving everything on board (with Kory’s help), putting everything away and figuring out where it all fit, provisioning, and making the boat our home. Kory was challenged with the task of learning and maintaining the boat — how did everything work, what equipment was already on the boat, what did we need and not need? And then he had to teach it all to me. He also upgraded all of our services, insured the boat, finalized documents, and made checklists to aid us in the days and months to come.
Some days during our move it was cloudy and biting cold. Some days the sun and warmth kept us inspired. We realized during these difficult times just how important it is to encourage one another day by day. Some days I was in tears as the boat was so cluttered that I could hardly see the end from the beginning. Some days Kory was discouraged by having to fix one broken thing after another. It looked like a tornado had come through our boat. But each day we tackled just what we could. We remembered Jesus’ words: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). So we tackled one thing at a time and thanked God for all that He allowed us to accomplish each day. And you know what, it all came together!
I read a new story today about a traffic officer who pulled a young man over for going 70mph in a 45mph zone. The young man had been having troubles in life. He wasn’t drunk or on drugs. He was emotionally distraught. The officer gave him a ticket, as it was his duty to do. He told the young man that our actions have consequences and we must take responsibility for them. But what happened next was astounding. The officer told the young man that he was sorry that he was going through such a difficult time in his life, and he asked him, “Is there anything I can do to help you?” The young man, with tears in his eyes, replied back to the officer, “I could use a hug.” The officer did so gladly. And the young man knew he could face another day. He had received the encouragement and love he needed in the moment. The officer assured him that it will get better and he could get through this. The story went viral because it is a story of hope and encouragement for all of us. We can get through whatever we face, and our love and encouragement for one another is so vital to the process!
Enjoy some photos of our “moving aboard” process:
