Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Wednesday thoughts


I left the house at the crack of dawn to see the old WWII destroyer Laffey be towed out of the maritime museum en route to a nearby shipyard for repairs. She is full of holes from corrosion and her hull has been worn thin.

She was called the Ship That Would Not Die; yet, the sea has done to her what the kamikaze planes could not. So with no small amount of funding, the ship is going to be repaired so that she may return to the museum.

There were many veterans standing with me watching as she was pushed and towed into the Harbor channel. Some of these were men who had served on the ship. I can only imagine their excitement and anticipation at the thought of her being returned to a semblance of the ship that they served on. It made me feel good that she was getting another chance.

I could hear the tugs talking to each other on the VHF. They were being as delicate as they could with the old girl. The push boat was only there as a precaution because too much pushing could have punctured through the hull. The speed upriver to the yard was around 6 knots, enough speed to move with the tide but not enough to throw up a wake. I felt relieved when I heard that she had made it to her berth at the yard.

Everything seems like a wonder to me today. I'm feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually fit. My colleague got a sponsor at the meeting last night. He said that he prayed on his knees for the first time since childhood. My wife is going to her home group meeting tonight, and I'm going to go rowing. The God of my understanding is active and evident in my life. He filled up many of my holes with spiritual Bondo and gave me some extra plating so that I could stay afloat. I have a lot of gratitude for that.

24 comments:

  1. Love the "spiritual Bondo"!!! How true!
    I envy you getting to see that ship and be there with the veterans. I love stuff like that!!

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  2. It is a very good day in deed when every part of you is feeling fit!

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  3. You do sound serene. I'm feeling the same way today. God is good.jeNN

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  4. Sometimes I feel like the ship that wouldn't die...

    Excellent post -- it's great to see a married couple have such a wonderful relationship.

    Sue, a follower :)

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  5. That praying can grow on you!

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  6. A lovely post, Syd. I want you to know that I used your post about "giving yourself permission not to like everyone" as a discussion at a recent meeting and the response was very positive. We mainly all agreed that a person who is intrusive like that is usually masking fear with arrogance and we need to try to look beyond the first impression.
    It prompted some heavy soul searching. Thanks.

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  7. Spiritual Bondo! Ha, ha! LOVE IT! You described that scene perfectly. It must have been so beautiful.

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  8. Syd - - - This message conveyed such gratitude, my heart was touched. Thanks for sharing.
    Love and Hugs,
    Anonymous #1

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  9. As always, what a beautiful post!!

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  10. A spiritual happening, the LAFFEY (DD-724) being "remodeled".

    The God of my understanding is ALWAYS active, though not always evident in all our lives: my opinion.

    Thanks for this post, Syd

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  11. wow.
    rhetoric alone would not have persuaded your colleague. it had to come from a person who looked 'well' for want of a better word.
    Well done for being able to carry the message in an ? embodied form. not just words.
    A lovely women i initially asked to be my sponsor. said to me when i was new. 'You could be the one person who makes the difference' referring to helping newcomers. You were the one person that DID make a difference for that guy, and that is a priceless gift.
    feels good helping others doesn't it? like mainlining life. brings things into focus.
    Good for you for persevering and being mindful about what you said to him.

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  12. Some days it all comes together.

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  13. As always a beautiful written post Syd.

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  14. Cool picture. Too bad it is of damage because it is quite beautiful in its way.

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  15. Thank you for this blog. I am so glad I happened to find it tonight. I am in the program too. You have inspired me to write about my recovery as well. I really relate to your words and I am so encouraged by your wisdom. Best wishes to you!

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  16. a good lesson in that ship... never give up

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  17. Nice when all seems well with the world.

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  18. To be worn, broken and then made whole through expert attention - what a beautiful metaphor of the grace we've been given.

    Blessings and aloha...

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  19. I feel your serenity once again Sud, how you share such peace, happiness, passion with all of us. I feel the HP coming out of you more and more. BLess YOU and TY;;}

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  20. Yea for spiritual Bondo! We get to sand it and paint it any color we want!

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  21. I'm gonna miss seeing the Laffey there each day as I drive over the bridge, but it is exciting knowing that she's getting some TLC and will continue to be a beacon of hope and a display of miracles :)

    This post filled me with gratitude and an Awe of the nature that keeps us moving and growing!

    Thanks Syd!

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  22. Glad you are in a good place, Syd.

    Love you, SB.

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  23. God takes all our broken pieces and makes us whole again. The spiritual bondo is a perfect picture. I can feel your peace, serenity and gratitude. Thank you for your loving and kind comments. You make a difference!

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