My Desk

My desk wasn’t always a desk. The main component, the desk top itself, is much older than me. It is an interesting collection of hand-cut hardwood planks held together by hand-forged metal banding. It was never intended to be a desk. In fact, it was created for a very different purpose. It was originally created as a ship hatch for a World War II Liberty Ship. I am not 100% sure which ship. But my research has lead me to believe that it came from the SS LeBaron Russel Briggs.

The Briggs was built in Panama City, Florida in 1944. She served as a steam powered Liberty ship moving cargo throughout the world until 1948 where it was laid up in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Briggs was then moved to the Hudson River Group in 1957 and from 1961 through 1963 she was commissioned to move grain. In 1970 she was returned to the Navy and on August 18th, 1970 she was loaded with 418 steel jacketed concrete vaults holding 12,540 US Army M55 Rockets containing Sarin nerve gas and one container of CX gas. She was then towed out 282 miles east of Cape Kennedy, Florida where she was scuttled in 16,000 ft of water, in a very controversial scuttling by the US Military.

In mid-September tropical storm Felice formed as a depression in the Bahamas. As the storm gained strength, it caused rough weather over the Briggs’ resting spot even though the storm later moved across the southern tip of Florida into the Gulf.

In early-October of 1970, my wife’s grandmother was taking a stroll on the beach in Ponte Vedra, Florida when she noticed a large piece of debris that had washed up on the shore. After closer inspection she realized that it was man made and seemed to be a hatch door of some kind. Because it looked “pretty neat”, with some help from her husband she loaded it into their car and took it home.

In the 1980’s, it spent some time as a coffee table in her son’s (my wife’s father) home. For many years this unidentified relic and pretty-neat beach debris remained in storage and in various garages and sheds stowed away but never used.

In January of 2020, the hatch door thought to have lived a life aboard a WWII Liberty Ship and weeks floating through the Atlantic Ocean was mounted to an adjustable desk base and became my desk.

This year has been a year like no-other. The world has seen a combination of stresses, illnesses, and storms like never before. Many believe that our old normal will never exist again. I have sat at this desk and typed over 30,000 words recording my thoughts through this year. I have sat at this desk while quarantined from my family. I have sat at this desk and watched parts of our country burn with anger and unrest. I have sat at this desk and prayed many prayers.

I take great comfort at this desk, as it has seen far more storms than I can imagine. And each storm has helped shape it and ultimately delivered it here, to me. I am using it to succeed in my career, build people up, and encourage those who need it. This desk is a sturdy collection of timbers – that man built for a very specific reason over 75 years ago. I am using for a very different reason. And this will not be it’s last use. It will live much longer than me and will serve many more purposes. But while it is mine – this desk serves a very functional use. It also serves as a reminder that God will use things and people in ways that we can never imagine – and even the storms serve as His vehicle to achieve His will.

“His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20