Effortless
"The sea is His for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land." Psalm 95:5
The ocean has no trouble fulfilling its part in creation of bringing glory to its Maker. Effortlessly, really. The reminders of His character, His work, His Person are many. May I, as His creation, fulfill the same purpose.
Going to the beach has always been my first choice for a “get away”. Unfortunately, my Dad was never one to schedule a coastal destination for our family vacation. While spending a year away from his young wife and brand new baby boy, he got his fill of the ocean on the South China Sea in Vietnam. He never cared to feel sand between his toes again. Part of me understands that now, but I let my opinion be known more than once in high school. You could say grandkids changed all that, as they change many things I don’t get yet. Every summer they rent a wonderful yellow house on St. George Island off the coast of Florida and invite us all to join them. So far, the result has been a few extra pounds, kids who love the beach, gobs of card playing time, tolerance for sand in places you can’t imagine, cousins becoming friends, too many fishing stories and a boat-load of memories. 
On our first day in the sand, Brighton sat still with shovel in hand, his bucket half full by his side and looked out towards the ocean. A question was brewing like a good pot of coffee, so I waited. “Do the waves still come even in the dark when we are sleeping?” While planning and thinking through our beach vacation, I wondered how I might make our stay somewhat spiritually significant for the children without gathering them up every night for some stilted family devotional. It came to me that we could talk about all the ways that the big blue sea reminded us of God as we played, walked and rode in the car. Not original. Not amazing. Just do-able. There is really no true comparison between the two, the ocean and God—just reminders, as He so carefully designed all of creation to do. Without even telling them my thoughts, Brighton’s observation on day one opened wide the door inviting Jeff, Julia and me to come in. Here are some of our reminders.
The rolling, and sometimes crashing, waves are mighty, in size and strength, but the persistency is mind boggling, like a magical machine with no off switch.
Depending on where you are standing, the movement of the ocean can be rough or gentle.
The sea is also teeming with life, living and active, able to provide abundantly for all that lives in it and around it.
Some mornings the ocean’s water is crystal clear, leaving no guess work as I walk out, but other mornings, each step is an unknown because of the cloudy water.
A frustrating observation is that you don’t tell the ocean what to do either. B’s carefully constructed sand castles were no match for the incoming tide. No matter how hard he shook his finger or how many barriers of sand he put in front of them, the constant rolls of the ocean could not be held back. It did what it pleased, for the good of the shoreline.
For the last, my favorite…..if you seek them out, the ocean unveils its treasures on a consistent basis. And it seems like the harder the waves crash, the more beauty lands on its shores waiting for someone to come along, pick it up and enjoy it. And every now and then, you find a rare and beautiful thing when you aren’t even looking.
That’s the God I know --powerful, mighty and faithful-even as we slumber, a life giver and a perfect provider. Depending on your personal view of God or your perspective in a certain situation, He can seem at times harsh and other times like a “mother with a weaned child”. He acts harshly, yet lovingly, when necessary. God’s Word is a lamp that shines on my feet and a light that illuminates my path, but sometimes I walk in faith listening for His voice behind me saying, “This is the way. Walk in it”. And thankfully, our God does as He pleases for the good of His children whether it seems good at the time or not. He is faithful to reveal Himself as we seek Him out, faithful to lavish us with gifts- some tangible, some not, eager to give us “grace gifts” when we least expect them, fully capable of bringing beauty from situations that may seem like a series of crashing, deafening waves. His treasures are our highest aspirations besides the Giver Himself.
On our first day in the sand, Brighton sat still with shovel in hand, his bucket half full by his side and looked out towards the ocean. A question was brewing like a good pot of coffee, so I waited. “Do the waves still come even in the dark when we are sleeping?” While planning and thinking through our beach vacation, I wondered how I might make our stay somewhat spiritually significant for the children without gathering them up every night for some stilted family devotional. It came to me that we could talk about all the ways that the big blue sea reminded us of God as we played, walked and rode in the car. Not original. Not amazing. Just do-able. There is really no true comparison between the two, the ocean and God—just reminders, as He so carefully designed all of creation to do. Without even telling them my thoughts, Brighton’s observation on day one opened wide the door inviting Jeff, Julia and me to come in. Here are some of our reminders.
The rolling, and sometimes crashing, waves are mighty, in size and strength, but the persistency is mind boggling, like a magical machine with no off switch.
Depending on where you are standing, the movement of the ocean can be rough or gentle.
The sea is also teeming with life, living and active, able to provide abundantly for all that lives in it and around it.
Some mornings the ocean’s water is crystal clear, leaving no guess work as I walk out, but other mornings, each step is an unknown because of the cloudy water.
A frustrating observation is that you don’t tell the ocean what to do either. B’s carefully constructed sand castles were no match for the incoming tide. No matter how hard he shook his finger or how many barriers of sand he put in front of them, the constant rolls of the ocean could not be held back. It did what it pleased, for the good of the shoreline.
For the last, my favorite…..if you seek them out, the ocean unveils its treasures on a consistent basis. And it seems like the harder the waves crash, the more beauty lands on its shores waiting for someone to come along, pick it up and enjoy it. And every now and then, you find a rare and beautiful thing when you aren’t even looking.
That’s the God I know --powerful, mighty and faithful-even as we slumber, a life giver and a perfect provider. Depending on your personal view of God or your perspective in a certain situation, He can seem at times harsh and other times like a “mother with a weaned child”. He acts harshly, yet lovingly, when necessary. God’s Word is a lamp that shines on my feet and a light that illuminates my path, but sometimes I walk in faith listening for His voice behind me saying, “This is the way. Walk in it”. And thankfully, our God does as He pleases for the good of His children whether it seems good at the time or not. He is faithful to reveal Himself as we seek Him out, faithful to lavish us with gifts- some tangible, some not, eager to give us “grace gifts” when we least expect them, fully capable of bringing beauty from situations that may seem like a series of crashing, deafening waves. His treasures are our highest aspirations besides the Giver Himself.
The ocean has no trouble fulfilling its part in creation of bringing glory to its Maker. Effortlessly, really. The reminders of His character, His work, His Person are many. May I, as His creation, fulfill the same purpose.
Comments
We need to get you a bigger outlet than the blog...people need to hear what you have to say, start by calling me each morning for my devotional. love living life with you
I had tears in my eyes at the end of your post. Thanks for sharing your heart and wisdom. I agree with Kellie--would you like to call me everyday with a kds devotional??
Nik-- did you mean for that to rhyme?? Or is it just too much Dr. Seuss these days?
thanks!
Kathie