A Whale, an Elephant and a Monkey

By Del Duduit

My wife, Angie, and I along with some family members recently voyaged through Alaska on Holland America’s Noordam cruise ship.

Over our eight-day voyage, we saw majestic snow-covered mountains and spectacular views from the balcony of our cabin. We saw seals romp and play in the water, brown bears stalk the shore for food, and bald eagles soar with pride against the deep blue Alaskan sky.

We caught a few King Salmon in Ketchikan, Alaska, and stood on a Taku Glacier in Juneau.

We witnessed the incomparable brilliant beauty of Glacier Bay and watched in awe as a Humpback Whale flapped its tail in the ocean before it disappeared into the chilly waters in a deep descent.

Every day was a different and magnificent adventure. We took in most of what an Alaskan cruise has to offer as we were entertained around the clock and found ourselves at the buffet table about every 23 minutes.

But after each exhausting and fun-filled day, we made our way back to our stateroom located on the top observation deck, and we always found something on our bed that brought smiles to our tired faces.

Each time we opened the door, we found our towels wrapped up like cute and cuddly animals.

One day, an elephant awaited us, and another time, it was a dog. Then a snail and a lobster. But the best was the last day when we shoved open the door to find a monkey hanging from a coat hanger. We left it hanging there, and the next day, Jay, our cabin steward, had put Angie’s sunglasses on it.

I reached the point where I was excited to see what was in our room at the end of each day. I anticipated it when I left the BB King All Star Blues Club after an evening of dynamic rhythm and blues.

I became so intrigued with the towel art that I even attended a workshop offered during the cruise on how to make towels into animals. There was also a book about towel art available for purchase. Apparently, there are many ways to create animals out of a simple piece of cloth.

What a concept.

A bland object like a towel can be turned into something unique and fun.

Jay and his partner, Wan, made our rooms nicer and put us in a happy mood. The task did not look easy at all. The transformation from a towel into a lovable animal featured a few complicated maneuvers. There were twists and turns and folding involved. But in the end, there was a sweet and adorable finished object. I felt bad about unraveling it, but I needed to take a shower.

Come to think of it, as Christians we need to be more like those towels.

We need to let the Lord take our bland lives and let Him make something unique and fun out of us.

There is even a book with instructions we can use called the Bible.

You might have to go through twists and turns before you are formed into something useful, but if you let the Lord fold you in the right places, you just might turn out to be productive for His glory.

Take me for example.

I thought I was doing okay and enough to get by and earn my mansion in heaven. I was bland, but God saw potential.

But I was not an adorable towel animal yet. I was not the person I could be.

I needed to be folded, molded, twisted, turned, and stretched.

My journey started out in a similar position. I was flat on my back and ready to be used by the Lord.

At first, he folded me when He led me to begin a website and start a blog.

Then he added a few more twists and placed wonderful Christian writers into my life. After a few more rolls and turns, things started to happen, and my life began to take shape. He took the talents he blessed me with and allowed me to begin a writing ministry.

I’m not where I can be yet, but I am willing to let God shape my life into something fun and unique.

Are you willing to be the towel?

Is your life bland and ready for some Godly excitement? What can God make out of your life? Are you ready to be used? Will you become a whale, an elephant or a monkey? What can you be?

Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.

His first book — BUCKEYE BELIEVER – 40 Days of Devotions for The Ohio State Faithful –can be purchased on Amazon here.