they that wait ...

On Columbus Day weekend, we spent an afternoon in Gloucester Harbor taking in the sights which includes a 2001 stature that honors the wives of the fishermen who have sailed out of Gloucester and never returned. It reminds all of us of the courage of these women who have, for centuries, accepted the risks, raised kids and displayed that quiet strength that's all about doing the right thing because it is the right thing. There is no movie like The Perfect Storm that chronicles their lives. Only their families know.

There is a second statue, an older statue, erected in 1923, that celebrates the courage of the fishermen who sailed from Gloucester harbor from 1623 to the present. The names of 5368 men who are known to be lost at sea, who never came home, are listed on bronze plaques that surround the statue of a fisherman at the wheel. The names tell the story of the immigrants who came to this corner of New England to make a life in the schooners and dories of Gloucester. It is a testimony of men who could pray, "Oh Lord, Your sea is so great; and my boat is so small."

Each of us faces an uncertain tomorrow. No one has been promised tomorrow, and we do not know the challenges that it may bring. Jesus told us "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34). He challenges us to live each day one at time and to trust our heavenly Father for the needs of today and tomorrow. It is a willingness to wait upon the Lord that gives us real strength and a confidence that even though the sea is so great and our boat is so small, His eye is upon us.

The prophet Isaiah encouraged the children of Israel at a dark time with these words. They remind us of where our sufficiency is and where our confidence must be anchored.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Keep the faith!