The Ocean

Early yesterday morning I went for a walk with my sister-in-law. When we started it was dark and cold; there was frost on all of the cars. As we walked, we could see our breath. Over the course of the walk, the sky started to get brighter as the sun made its way towards the horizon. After a little over five miles, I took a break and walked over to the beach while Tina pressed on for another half mile.

I arrived at the top of the dune to my own world. It was a beautiful clear morning. The sun was just inching over the expansive horizon. I watched dolphin swimming, pelicans flying in a line low over the water looking for food, and flotsam and jetsam bobbing on the water. The surf was very light, but I still couldn't hear anything other than the gently crashing waves. It was truly awesome. Sitting there looking into that endless horizon and growing nearly blind from watching the sun rise in the sky, I couldn't help but feel the majesty of creation. It was a wonderful opportunity to take a moment to worship.

It also inspired me to take a few minutes to re-read the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. Prepare yourself and then take the few minutes that it will take you to read Genesis 1. I promise that you will be glad that you did. Excerpts don't really do it justice. But trying to capture at least a little bit of what I experienced and thought about yesterday morning sitting in the cold, looking past the fog of my breath at the incredible view:


And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:9-10 (NIV) [part of the third day]

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:20-21 (NIV) [the fifth day]


I agree - "it was good." And, it still is good. I was hit over the head with it by the place where I was and the opportunity that I had, but I encourage everyone to find a chance to experience the miracle of the world around us. Sometimes we get caught up in the forest and don't notice the loving expression of our creator in the beauty of a single tree.