October 7 – “Disarming barriers”

I met another one of our many different visitors to Galveston Island Paradise yesterday.  I was fishing.  He wasn’t.  He apparently just came over to say hello.  Actually I have no idea what he came over to say.  He was a nice enough fellow.  Probably a bit younger than me.  A lady on shore was obviously with him.  He kept turning back to her, waving, and hollering something.  No way she heard him, but at least he was consistently checking in.  He was very quiet as he approached.  I never saw or heard him until he was about ten feet away.  When I turned around to greet him he excitedly approached and pointed to my bait bucket, then to my catch well, then out toward the Gulf.  And all the while he chattered on and on with a big smile on his face.  And I had no idea what he was saying.  I couldn’t even place the language at first, although I kind of narrowed it down in my mind to maybe Eastern Europe or Russia.  As it turned out I wasn’t far from wrong.  When he realized that I was not understanding him at all, he smiled sadly, pointed to himself and said, “Ukraine.  Europa.”  Finally, something I understood.  I showed him the fish I had caught (not that many.  Some whiting and croaker), and he tried another six or eight times to explain what he was talking about.  I thought maybe he wanted me to bait the hook and cast further out to catch the big one.  But then I figured I was confusing him with another story I had heard.  Something about casting your nets over on the other side and catching a boatload of fish.  He finally flashed that big smile of his, tossed an English, “Thank you” over his shoulder, and made his way back to shore.  That has to be a tough situation, not knowing or even understanding the language of those around you.  I hope they enjoy their stay.

Hebrews 4:14 says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”

Father, keep that Ukrainian couple safe while they are here in Galveston.  Give them a supernatural ability to communicate when they need to.  He’s already almost there.  His smile goes a long way toward disarming barriers. Amen.