Hello all,
This is Kiara! and despite what many may think I haven’t got lost at sea I am just getting steadily worse at keeping in touch… But that’s okay because my commitment onboard the Logos Hope is nearly complete, a mere five months to go. Being one of the longest onboard feels surreal, sometimes it still feels like I arrived here a day ago and at other points, I struggle to remember some of the things I never thought I could forget from home.
These past several months after coming back have flown by, even faster than the first year seemed to go. Instead of each port being filled with the frantic making of 100 ice-creams as a school visit comes onboard like before, it is now consumed by the mayhem of onboard events. I have served in everything from having presidents visit the ship in our Official Openings, to conferences for pastors, each bringing their unique challenges and difficulties. At the beginning of my time doing this, I struggled with the irregularity of it all, with some days being calm and even quite enjoyable while others just seemed to be a never-ending chaos, but God has been faithful through it all.
This year has also been a lot more self-reflective than before. Last year I feel God was teaching me more of His purposes for the world and that was truly amazing, eye-opening and life-changing but coming back I thought that was it; the ship had taught me all it could.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I am a naturally optimistic, always look on the bright side kind of person, constantly choosing to see the best in others, and myself, which sounds like a pretty good thing but it does have one downside, it leads to a blindness of my own faults or maybe more accurately a desire to mask them with excuses. I’ve always known I’m a rather prideful human being, but over and over, these past few months God has been highlighting that that is not what He wants for His followers. The Bible speaks constantly on humility, putting others before yourself, treating everybody equally but every day my thoughts do not align with what.
"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." Mark 9:35
Each day I’m trying to take each of the thoughts that don’t align with God’s commands captive and replacing them with His desires. The way God would choose for us to live is truly the best way any of us ever could, either in the big life decisions or simply with your thoughts each day. Each aspect of our lives should align with His will.
This became so evident for me a couple of weeks ago while on one of my onshore ministry days at a church service for kids and youth. I was sharing with some of the older group a simple gospel presentation using the illustration of the paper cross, where you describe God’s relationship with us as perfect but then show the things of the world that can come between us, ultimately ending in the fact that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the only thing that can bring us back into that perfect relationship. While sharing and asking the kids about the things that can stop us, or distract us from what’s important I was struck by just how futile so many of those things are. Some people can strive for their whole lives for the perfect house and then lose it with one bad decision. Others give their everything to be with the perfect guy only to find themselves left alone. Many live for their own happiness only to find themselves not truly happy when they have all they could imagine. I got so passionate about this I nearly felt like screaming it (I hope I didn’t attempt this as Top Tip: screaming is not an effective way of sharing…). But it was such a poignant moment in my own walk and a commitment to life every single aspect of life as God intends.
So right from our thoughts each morning, to our actions throughout the day, or the huge life decisions that come along, follow God’s plan for your life because it is so abundantly best for you, even in the difficult times. Try to live your whole life pleasing to Him, whatever way that looks like for you. That is one decision you will never regret. I thought I had made that decision a long time ago but this year God has been saying there’s more you have to give. And this is all happening when I thought God had taught me all He was going to onboard…
So that’s what I want to share with you right now, not any of the crazy sailing stories or how beautiful the Caribbean islands are (although they are stunning) but what God is doing in my heart because that’s what I’m praying will last long after I step off the gangways for the final time.
Thank you so much for reading my waffling if you’ve made it this far, to finish I’d like to just share one prayer request with you: the ship is about to finish its time in the Caribbean before crossing the Atlantic to Europe, please pray that all the changes that need to happen for the European visit can take place and that all would come together.
I miss home greatly and seeing many of your faces each week but heads up the ship is in Cork and Dublin during June and you’re all very welcome to come to visit my floating home! If you have any questions or just want to get in touch the best way to get in contact is via my WhatsApp as our internet isn’t the best: +447850768772.
Or you can also use this email: kiara.mcclelland@gbaships.org
Love and prayers,
Kiara
