Cruising through

After a quick night's stay at the Ipswich Holiday Inn, we took one taxi and two trains to reach our ultimate destination; Harwich...the place at which our 12-day cruiseliner would be leaving from. We toured the ship as soon as we took our first step on to it, ending up at the infamous 24 hour dining hall called the Windjammer (pronounced with the j, not a y as we South Africans would expect).

Fast facts: Ship name: Brilliance of the Seas. 20 SA citizens on the ship. 800 Brits 600 Americans The remainder are all of different nationalities. Total passengers: 2400 Staff: 1100 Ship weighs 90 000 tons.

As we entered our rooms, the only tiny thing about the ship, my two sisters and I took lots on who would get the best bed or top drawers. While unpacking I came to the extremely sad conclusion that I had left my only two books that I had packed, underneath my seat on the international flight. I had been reading The Book Thief, which belonged to my aunt back home, and a very special book that I had received from a friend of mine in my bible study in Grahamstown entitled "What happens when women say yes to God". I was on the last chapter and my eyes had continued to be opened as I read each consecutive page. To say I was disappointed that this book was gone was an understatement, but what I then began to think about was the first story that the author of the book shared in the opening pages; how she lost her bible on an aeroplane. Okay, she didn't exactly lose her bible, but she did lose it to the passenger seated next to her. She said that after chatting to the man next to her for the majority of the flight, God had urged her to give him her bible. Not just any ordinary bible, but the bible that she had described as tear-stained and covered in notes...although I wouldn't be able to quote her directly without the book. This man, a non-believer, then went on to take a week off from work just to read the bible, something that the most staunch Christian would probably not be able to say they had ever done. He gave His life to the Lord and started sharing his revelation with whoever he could.

Maybe me leaving that book on the aeroplane was linked to a story of this kind. Maybe someone is meant to find that little book and maybe they will become one of the greatest followers of all time. Or maybe it will be chucked into some kind of lost-and-found box where it will remain for years...either way God is in control.

Later on in the day the sun came out, something that we had been praying for to happen on the cruise for months in advance. My mom and I also entered a raffle and ended up both winning amazing gift vouchers. As the lyrics go, "You give and take away". I may have lost two treasured books, but as it is shown in the story about the bible and the passenger on the aeroplane, every act has repercussions, often amazing ones.