“God desires and seeks the salvation of all. And He is always saving all who wish to be saved from drowning in the sea of life and sin. But He does not always save in a boat or in a convenient, well-equipped harbour. He promised to save the Holy Apostle Paul and all his fellow-travelers, and He did save them. But the Apostle and his fellow-travelers were not saved in the ship, which was wrecked; they were saved with great difficulty, some by swimming, and others on boards and various bits of the ship’s wreckage.”
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov – The Arena
Gladsome Lights 
How true – we do not always get the outcome we desire in the way we desire, but the outcome nevertheless.
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It’s not always easy to see the answer when it doesn’t arrive in the way we expect. Life experience has made me able to be more appreciative of the unexpected turns of events. And to find the grace ‘in the midst’.
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I was so pleased to read this today. I knew about Paul’s misfortune, but hadnt thought about possible metaphoric applications. You have summarized them quite well in your title. And the passage is worth saving. (Wreckages abound, here and everywhere, it seems. It is good tothink about the broken parts which can lead to survival, including the Spirit that is often forgotten but always working.) I am now going to check out The Arena. Thank you, as always.
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Very true!
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To the point!
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