By Marianne Wood

I learned to sail on Lytle Lake and later Lake Brownwood as a teen. I’m not good at it, though my husband has the knack. He recently used a practical sailing term, “coming about,” to describe our pivot in life due to a great loss. His comment got me thinking about “abouts.”

“About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census…”

It’s about time you came home…(mother or father to a child).

And a movie: About Time.

It happened, chanced, transpired, followed, arose, shaped, developed. There are many synonyms for this expression, but the sailing term pictures our lives best because this coming about means suddenly heading in another direction. Very importantly, the action involves ducking to miss the boom or pole along the bottom part of the sail that is horizontal to the craft. It must cross before you to put the wind on the other side of the sail. If you fail to duck, the boom will make you wish you were paying better attention to the person shouting “coming about,” especially if you encounter heavy weather. Sometimes, that Someone speaks from the heavens. I can easily get fixated on the waves and miss His voice.

Our family and friends received clear instructions on September 6, 2022, after having first ducked on April 9, 2021. Many of you can relate by changing the dates and circumstances. Cancer made us duck, change direction, and head for safe harbor the long way. During our last coming about, our pivot in high winds, we came closer to capsizing than the previous time. But for friends praying, we’d have sunk.

My pal, Kathy Strong, emailed me the list of things she prayed about for us. I replied: “I love your ‘abouts.’ They fit where I’m living.” And I shared with her the small craft sailing term that matched our new existence. 

Recently, when I felt myself coming up for air, I hit more turbulent water. A close friend has the same dreaded disease. So, I’m taking a new tack entirely. While the waves still crash over the bow of my boat and I find myself deeply afraid and violently sick with sadness, I choose to do what one of our daughter’s close friends and now mine, recently encouraged: “Ride the waves, Marianne. Go with them; don’t dodge.” Thanks, Kim Everett.

With the aid of faith and friendships, we move in the right direction. A good movie can help, too.

I first watched About Time, a romantic fantasy film, on a long flight. I chose it after a frustrating scroll of offerings from A to Z on the tiny airplane screen. Landing back at A, I decided on the first film. And fell for it. 

My husband and I watched it again recently; me for the third time. I seldom see R-rated films, but this one’s truthful message continues to hit me squarely in a needy spot. While the movie seems focused on the power to control one’s life, in the end, it is apparent that the actual theme is that time with people should be celebrated, honored and cherished. 

In one of my favorite scenes, the main character, a man named Tim, returns to a coffee shop using his extraordinary time-traveling power to redo a slice of his life–a simple order in a crowded restaurant. The second time he is present, intentionally noticing the barista serving him. He looks her in the eye and thanks her. In this act, he reminds me of Someone else. I cannot help but think of how Christ continually sees us. He is El Roi: the God who sees me. This, too, helps me come about. 

Marianne Wood works as an editorial assistant and researcher for Bill Wright