April 12 – Tough Going

The Heritage Marine tug Nels J slowly pushes through pack ice in the Duluth Shipping Canal. Winter lingered well into spring in 2013, and the shipping season began with difficulty. Strong winds compact broken ice into thick pressure ridges, stacking slabs high above the surface and even thicker below. Near harbor entries, tugboats must carefully work their way through these dense, shifting fields.

Pack ice is not a solid sheet. It is fractured lake ice, broken by wind, waves, and changing temperatures. Once loosened, the wind gathers it into moving masses that behave like a slow, frozen river.

From shore, it seemed almost impossible for the tug to reach open water. Yet with steady persistence, constant maneuvering, and measured power, the Nels J pressed forward until the resistance gave way, and it reached open water.

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:31

Pack ice requires time, skill, and strength to overcome. Life can feel the same — slow progress, heavy pressure, no clear path. Yet the Lord renews our strength and leads us through.