FROM THE CHAPLAIN: Great Lakes are both beautiful and humbling

By Eric Tucker, GLCC Chaplain

There is something powerful about looking out from the helm and seeing the open water before you. The canvas is up, the instruments are on, the bow is pointed forward, and the season is officially under way. After months of waiting, preparing, repairing, planning, cleaning, dreaming, and perhaps even worrying, the Great Lakes are calling again.

This picture says a lot without saying a word. The sky is not perfectly clear. The water is not perfectly flat. The horizon is visible, but not without clouds. And yet, the boat is moving forward.

Isn’t that a lesson for all of us?

So often, we wait for perfect conditions before we begin. We want calm seas, bright skies, clear schedules, full tanks, and no surprises. But any seasoned boater knows that cruising is not about waiting for everything to be perfect. It is about being prepared, paying attention, trusting our instruments, respecting the water, and moving forward with wisdom.

The same is true in life.

June reminds us that the season is under way — not only on the Great Lakes, but in our own hearts. The time for sitting at the dock has passed. It is time to untie some lines. It is time to leave behind the hesitation of winter and step into the journey ahead. There will be clouds. There will be chop. There may be moments when visibility changes and we have to slow down, adjust course, or trust the chart more than our eyes. That does not mean we are off course. It simply means we are cruising confidently.

Every boater learns that the view from the helm is both beautiful and humbling. You can see where you are going, but not always everything that is coming. You can make a plan, but the lake may require adjustments. You can study the weather, but you still have to respect what unfolds in real time. That is why cruising teaches patience, humility, faith, and attentiveness.

Maybe that is the spiritual lesson of this season: keep your hand steady, your eyes open, and your heart anchored.

As we enter the heart of the boating season, may we remember that the journey is not only about destinations, marinas, ports, fuel stops, or rendezvous gatherings. It is also about what the water teaches us along the way. It teaches us to slow down enough to notice beauty. It teaches us to prepare before we depart. It teaches us that storms do not last forever. It teaches us that good companions make the journey better. And it teaches us that even when the horizon looks cloudy, there is still a way forward.

So to every GLCC boater heading out this June: Cruise wisely, laugh often, check your lines, watch the weather, help your neighbor, and enjoy the gift of another season on these magnificent Great Lakes.

The season is under way.

May your course be steady, your engines reliable, your dock lines untangled, and your spirit refreshed with every mile. Blessings from the helm.