Hearing the story of a woman in the late 1840's leaving Ireland in a famine ship
Good Gracious, God!
How hard it is to “hear” the story of the Irish Famine from a real live human being! We are not designed to do numbers. One million dead — or was it two million dead — they are just numbers. It has no reality. But, put a fellow human being in front of us and have her tell her story — then it becomes REAL.
Today we were on a replica of a famine ship. It was a sailing ship used to transport cargo that was outfitted for transporting people. Steerage was what it was called. That meant four people to a bunk 6 feet by 6 feet and the bunks were upper and lower. There were rules about how many people were allowed based on the ships tonage. But young people were counted as a half and children weren’t counted at all. There were maybe 150 to 300 people in a small area. The food was biscuits — hard tack — and raw oatmeal which they could try to cook on deck.
a replica of a real famine ship, the Dunbrody
These were the lucky ones. They left. Some had the passage paid for by their landlords. Some had family in America.
Well, I tell You, God. I feel convicted.
Because, it isn’t just the Irish — way back then. People needing help are all around us. “Needing Help” — that is a bit of a euphemism isn’t it, God. There are people starving. People dying of preventable diseases. People without hope turning to drink or drugs. Sigh.
I remember the end of Schindler’s List — with Oscar Schindler crying out: I could have done MORE! I could have done so much MORE!
Well, yes, God. I CAN DO MORE!
Oh, GOD! Please turn our hearts TOWARD YOU! Let doing Your Will be a JOY to us — light a flame in our hearts!
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
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