We had planned and packed and done all we could do, back home, to make sure we would have very little to worry about. Buddy, our 85lb hairy son, in a Bulldogs body, went to Mi Mi’s and Hot Rods’. Sherman would take care of chickens and protect the property. We left a car at Creel Tire to receive some TLC while we were away. Jason and Mary Ashley would get our mail. I gave a mountain of instructions to my crews for the jobs we have going and ones that needed to get going, while I was away. I sent text and made phone calls up to the point that the signal didn’t reach me any longer as we pulled out of the Miami port and headed out into deep waters. I worried, so much so, about the details that one of my guys said, “All right all ready…GO!” And Chris, my painter said, “I thought you were going on vacation?” Then the signal was gone, no way to have contact for the next several days…It would do no good to worry…and so…slowly…I tried to stop worrying.
Because I had no incoming info to worry about…I was able to enjoy my time on the ship with my family. We went to incredible shows each night and watched dancing that made “Dancing with the Stars,” look like…well I don’t know what…because I don’t watch anyone dance with stars…but I sure did watch the talented folks dance on the ship. They were twisting things and moving parts that only professionals should attempt. There were different themes for each night. “Old Blue Eyes,” Frank Sinatra night, Pirates night, Witches of Paris night, Opera in the Afternoon night and on and on.
The show that packed the house out early was the Michael Jackson Show. Octogenarians and younger were fighting for the best seats in the theatre. Michael Jacksons' impersonator did more crotch grabbing and hip thrusts ,while wearing his diamond studded glove, than I ever saw The King of Pop do. We watched him gyrate his hips, kick his legs out, slap his knees down, tilt his hat forward, backwards, sideways, and then he flung it to the floor. He moon walked forward, backwards, sideways and in circles bringing the ship full of “Thriller” seekers to a standing ovation…several times.
Watching something like this makes folks do crazy things. Kind of like, when we watched Rocky beat up Clubber Lang (Mr. T) for the first time on the big screen. After busting through the theaters double metal doors, it was every man for himself to try and make it safely to a car without having to fight someone in the parking lot of the Capri Theatre. The same kind a thing happened after Michael Jackson night. All the little bars and cafes on the ship were packed with way too many folks trying to bust a move like fake Michael made…it was hard to watch.
We also ate great food, served by hard working folks, from 47 different countries. Winton, our head waiter, was from Bali, Indonesia and Joad was from Goa, India. Both smiled a lot and served us like we were kings on a cruise. When we asked about having this or that, they would both respond, “Don’t Worry!” and run off and get whatever we had asked for. “Winton, would it be possible to have some coffee please?” “Don’t worry.” and a few minutes later, there was coffee. “Excuse me Joad, could I have a little ketchup?” “Don’t worry!” And a few minutes later Joad would appear smiling with a plate full of ketchup packets. We heard, “Don’t worry,” so many times that I began…well…not to worry.
Not worrying felt really good. Not worrying about this or that gives you more time to think about relaxing, reading, writing, snacking, napping. Even our room porter, Abrida from Indonesia, always greeted us with a big smile and whenever we would ask for something he would say, “Don't worry.” and smile real big and within a short time, we would have what we needed. Another thing I noticed was, not worrying so much, seemed to slow time itself. It seemed like, I had more time to do things, I really wanted to do like, relaxing, reading, writing, snacking, napping because the worrisome things were off my radar… Or so I thought.
I had eluded worry for some days until we docked again. I was watching dock workers pulling thin ropes attached to larger ropes that were draped across the great rounded mushroom shaped mooring bollards that hold the huge ships in place. While they were struggling with the huge ropes they were cursing like...well like dock workers. As I watched them cursing and struggling to do their job, I started thinking about mine and all that I needed to get done and phone calls I needed to make and materials I needed delivered and checks I needed to write and within a few seconds...I was worrying all over again...and then I saw it.
A sign from the Lord...literally...as I looked out over Miami. The sign read, “It's OK. It's OK. Everything is going to be OK!” One large letter at a time, the sign was spelled out right in front of me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, let alone reading. But, there is was, on the side of a huge office building. The Inter Continental building has a huge display screen that has the scrolling letters on it for anyone to see and I was caught off guard and surprised by the sign, written especially for me, at that specific time, on this specific morning, with a specific message... to me.
God has a way of making himself heard. He has done it since the beginning of time...we just have to be open to see it. I called Cindy out onto the balcony to see the scrolling sign with me. I wanted a witness. Folks are skeptical and so I like having witnesses when I see something that I want to claim, is from the Lord. “There, ya see it?” I asked. She smiled and said, “Yep, that's cute.” and she walked back inside packing some more things into the bags that we would be taking off the ship in less than an hour. But for me, it was different.
For me it wasn't just cute...it was important...and it was especially for me. The Lord of the universe was showing me who He was, again, by that one little sign that scrolled across a building in the early morning hours of a city I know nothing about. God found me, as I began to worry, in a quite place, over looking a busy port and city and wanted to tell me...”It's OK. It's OK. Everything is going to be OK.” I smiled, thanked him for the note and went back inside to pack my bags because I knew, at least until the next time I catch myself worrying, that everything, truly, was going to be OK!
Wick Jackson
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