X Marks the Way Home by Joylene M Bailey

My husband and I have been on a lot of cruises over the years. We found it to be the best vacation for him while he was leading a large company, because while we were in the middle of the ocean or visiting islands and faraway places, nobody could get hold of him except in a real emergency. And he was so far away from work that he actually relaxed.

If you've ever been on a cruise ship you know that your cabin becomes home for 7, 11, 15 days or more. No matter where you travel around the world, what shore excursions you take in the various destinations, you always return "home" to your very own cabin.

We began to favour a particular cruise line whose logo was an X. In fact, a giant X graced the sides of the biggest funnel on the ship, so even from far away--day or night--we could identify our ship. We came to appreciate this when we'd arrive in port along with several other ships.

From atop an island mountain, while perusing the shops on the waterfront, or sitting in a restaurant near the ocean, we could look toward the harbour where the ships were docked, spy the X and say, "Ah. There's home." It gave a thrill to know that we weren't lost out in the middle of nowhere with no direction.

The diverse cultures and foods we were experiencing were interesting and exciting in the moment, but Home was waiting for us with the familiarity and comforts we knew and enjoyed: our own cabin with its comfortable bed, welcoming desk at which to sit and write, deck chairs on the balcony where we could recline and watch land, sea, and sky sail by.

Sometimes, our trek back to the ship involved winding trails through lush foliage or narrow cobble-stoned alleys. We'd lose sight of the X that marked home. But every time it came into view, we were able to get our bearings and head in the right direction. 

It reminds me very much of a scripture verse that has become a kind of watchword for me over the ups and downs of my lifetime. When life got hard and I couldn't see the way forward, I'd count on these words from Isaiah 30:21 ...

"Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left."

There have been many times when I've had to bring myself up short, remind myself to put my listening ears on. Life gets busy; all kinds of things crowd in to drown out the still small Voice. Once I tune in, however, I hear the word behind me saying, "This is the way, walk in it." How comforting to know that to tune my ears to that Voice, to search for the X, is to find home.

"This is the way ... to handle that situation ..."

"This is the way ... to forge into the unknown ..."

"This is the way ... to word that phrase ..."

In any and every step of life, X marks the way home.

*****

Celebrity cruise ship image by Ralph Hausler from pixabay.

This will be Joy's last regular blog post for IWO, as she'll be taking a break from it for a year or so. But she'll pop in now and then to read and enjoy yours. And you can find her at Scraps of Joy. From her cozy home in beautiful lake country, Alberta, where she lives with The Cowboy, she wishes you a Joyous Christmas and a blessed 2025.