Different kinds of vessels built from different kinds of materials serve different kinds of purposes. In America, people love outdoor activities because nature is stunning, national & state parks are well upheld & the roads are very good. Kayaking is among the favorites. My husband & I have an inflatable kayak: easy to store & transport; it serves our purposes of going out on a small calm lake several times a year for a half-an-hour-long voyage. Nice, relaxing, fun. We even take our puppy with us sometimes & he likes it too.
I have never heard about an inflatable cruise ship so far, and even if I would, I do not think I would hurry to join it for a round-the-globe adventure. Cruise ships are usually built of very reliable materials. They should be! Since they are going to be tested hard amidst the most dangerous weather conditions of the open sea. Same way, our material well-being is crucial for our success. As human beings, we need a roof over our heads, some clothes on our backs, some food in our stomachs & some ways to get around to places of interest. That’s the bare minimum.
In the Bible, Jesus shares the following example so that people can think before they make a decision to follow Him: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30). Thinking before making a decision is a good practice, especially before making life-changing decisions like immigrating to another country.
Thinking about the costs actually does not limit to counting one’s money. It also means assessing one’s emotional readiness to ask for help if needed, which in turn includes a clear understanding of the word “help.” Help is voluntary. People can choose to start helping & stop doing that whenever they please. Being ready for such rapid turns of favor, remaining thankful for any tiny act of help, and moving forward, looking for more help can be rather challenging & certainly is very humbling. We have to ensure that our carcass is sturdy enough to withstand such pressure instead of blaming everybody around us when it falls apart somewhere in the middle of a stormy ocean.
