Time Is On My Side; Lashton

12th Century (2)

Jerusalem, 1192

"How much longer, Mum, we've been sailing for two weeks now."

"Soon, Luke, we are arriving in the port now. Patience is a virtue," my mum said to me after setting her Bible on the makeshift bed that she and my pap had slept on for the amount of time we had been on our journey to our new home.

After Richard Lionheart and Saladin agreed to a treaty where Christian Pilgrims could make the tedious journey to Jerusalem, Pap and Mum had many long conversations that my brothers and I weren't allowed to intrude on. Then, it was finalized; we were to leave our comfy cottage in the heart of the English countryside and move to a distant and unfamiliar land. It was all for God and to spread his word in this new life that we had been given.

"Elizabeth," Pap announced his presence through the thick silence of our bunk room. "We can get off this wretched ship and have our new life with our boys and our faith," he said, smiling at the short blonde woman.

Mum began crying as I watched my parents kiss and embrace each other. I wanted that with a deathly desire from the bottom of my heart. Knowing that they had already set my brothers up with women that either made the journey alongside us or on a ship before, I was close to have a fiancé of my own.

"We have visitors! Greeters, they claim!"

Harsh knocking echoed throughout the small area.

"Shall we?" Pap held his hand out for Mum. "Luke, get a trunk of belongings will you?"

"Yes, Pap," I told him without any hesitation.

I struggled to even drag the large and heavily stuffed trunk out of the door, and I couldn't imagine pulling it up the steps and into the open air.

"Need help there, little?" I turned to the voice to see my brother, Benjamin, stepping out of Florie's family bunk space. Florie was his fiancé.

"Y-yes, yes please," I told him, out of breath. My lanky arms served no purpose to me. My pap and my brothers were both tall and muscular. Though I was also tall, I did not have the same muscle that they did. Mum was going to send me to her cousin in Rome, to prepare me to become a priest. She didn't want me having the harsh lifestyle of a farmer.

Benjamin simply nodded and chuckled before picking up the trunk with ease, and going up the ships stairs onto the upper deck. I truly envy him. I've merely been in God's world for sixteen years, but I have always deep down felt worthless in most situations. And I know God knows this. God sees everything and he knows every thought an individual has had come to mind, even the most sinful. He already knows.

"Luke!" Michael, my only friend, greets me as I come to the open air.

"Hello, Michael," I greet back with a timid smile as my eyes adjust to the sudden light.

"It's amazing here," Michael said, obvious excitement in his green eyes.

"So I can tell so far, have you met any of the natives? Are they friendly? I'm scared," I said quickly, immediately stopping myself from rambling. I remembered all the times my mum chastised me about the habit of mine.

"Yes, yes, and you have no reason to be scared," Michael said as he put a gentle hand on my shoulder and continued, looking me right in the eyes. "This is a fresh start, and we are children of God. No evil will come into our lives. He will keep us safe."

I knew Michael was correct, it's what we all had been taught. We are children of God and he will protect us at all costs, just like the encounters in scripture. We base our lives on his word and his mighty influence on his children before us.