The Journey Friday, November 09, 2007

It’s time to go. Preparations have been made, and the weather is cooperating. The pastor is giving a sermon out of the book of Ezra. Spirits are high, but nervous. Some people are laughing, some are crying. People are separating from family and friends, but they are doing it willingly. They have decided to make this journey by their own free will.

They leave, one ship following another. A sturdy ship named “Mayflower” leads the way with the smaller ship, “Speedwell” not far behind as they quietly sail away from their former lives.

After just 300 miles, there is a problem. The Speedwell is taking on water. Problems have haunted the ship. The group is forced to turn back for repairs. After a few weeks of effort, they realize that they can’t repair the ship and make the decision to carry on without it. The already-tired passengers and crew stuff themselves and their belongings into the over-crowded Mayflower.

With the emotions that the group had originally felt now long behind them, they finally begin to head west to America. The weather is still cooperating and the sea is calm. It is September 6th, a full month after the departure date.

The open sea is much rougher than the protected coastline, but the ship is strong and handles the waves well. A child is born; his parents appropriately name him, "Oceanus." The passengers' only complaint is sea-sickness. An old, salty crew member remarks, “if a little queasiness is our entire problem, we’re in for an easy trip.” Time would prove him wrong.

Winds start to howl, and waves crash against the deck. A 25 year-old man named John Howland is swept overboard. He desperately grasps for a rope as he sinks into the choppy white waves. He is completely under water when he feels something touch his hand. He grabs it and holds on. It’s a rope. Somehow a rope was dangling from the topsail. He holds on for his life. He’s being dragged underwater and is on the verge of drowning, when he somehow finds the strength to pull himself up. A few men had seen what happened and came to his aid. Miraculously he is pulled to safety. God made a way to save Mr. Howland.

The weather gets worse. The sturdy Mayflower begins to moan. Her main beam creeks and then snaps. The pilgrims are scared but put their faith in God. The crew uses a large screw and some ingenuity to patch it back together. The Captain reassures the passengers that she’ll make it. Sixty-six days after setting sail, she did. The journey is over. They've reached the new land, and a new life begins. The Lord has seen them through the voyage, but many more challenges were yet to come.

By the way, Mr. Howland, the man who almost lost his life when swept into the ocean... His lineage includes a name you might recognize, President George W Bush.