THE GOODTIME III

My husband Barry and I were planning to be married and needed to choose a date for our wedding. Wedding dates are often set according to the availability of the reception venue, as was ours. We chose to host a dinner cruise reception on The Goodtime III cruise ship that docks at the East 9^th St. pier in Cleveland, OH. The first cruise of the season in 2022 was Saturday, June 18^th. I booked a party for 50 people on that date and that became our wedding date. The evening meal and music were included in the cruise tickets, so I didn’t have to select a menu or hire a band. It was that simple!

The cruise line website notes that The Goodtime III is the largest luxury ship in Cleveland, boasting three decks that hold up to 1,000 people. This is a favorite party venue in our area, offering daytime sightseeing trips and dinner cruises until late in the fall.

The original Goodtime ship was built in 1889, making sightseeing runs from Cleveland to Sandusky. That ship was eventually scrapped in 1941. In 1958, Herbert and Vince Fryan bought the franchise, built The Goodtime II and continued the tours locally. The ship cruised the scenic shores of Lake Erie near downtown Cleveland and the winding turns of the Cuyahoga River.

In 1988, Vince Fryan’s grandson, Rick Fryan, had the vision to build the 1,000-passenger ship that operates today. The Goodtime III is navigated by ship Captain Jim Carlin, who most likely was the captain for our reception. The dinner cruise on which we celebrated our wedding along with 50 guests would not have happened unless Captain Jim boarded the ship and took the helm. Taking control to safely navigate a boat to its destination is what a ship captain does.

This anecdote gives us the appropriate picture for the meaning of Jesus’ name “Emmanuel.” “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son and hey shall call His name ‘Emmanuel’, which translated means ‘God With Us.’” (Matthew 1:23) In the Greek language, the name means, “to board ship, to take the helm and to steer the boat.” This is the vivid illustration of what God wants to do within us by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Let’s also look at the Old Testament prophecy from which this declaration came. “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The Hebrew translation of this name is “God with us” or “God is in our midst.” This speaks to the existence of the presence of God that surrounds His people but is outside of them.

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel foresaw a time when God would indwell His people by His Spirit. “And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 26:27) The prophet foretold of a time when God would give people the inner power they needed to obey God’s laws and no longer had to try on their own.

Finally, during Jesus’ ministry, He spoke to the people about how He was going to do that. He would return to heaven and ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to assist and comfort God’s people, Jesus’ followers. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” (John 14:16)

We celebrate having these two powerful aspects of God’s presence with us at all times. “God With Us,” God outside of us working in our circumstances to bring us the good things that will sustain us. And God within us, giving us the ability to draw strength from Him as He “boards ship, takes the helm and steers the boat.” The indwelling Christ helps us make choices by speaking to our mind and hearts, reminding us of His laws and propelling us forward in the right direction. He avails to us the inner power, comfort and knowledge that we need to arrive at our life’s destination.

If this is the life that you want, you can have Jesus in your life also. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12) You can make Jesus the Captain of your life by asking Him to come live with you and within you. As a result, you will have the inner counsel of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen