Saturday, July 30, 2011

The Ocean.

The Ocean astounds me.  The ocean is always constant, through everything I might go through, the ocean is always resolute, though I might falter in the storms that life brings me.  The ocean is always enduring everything, never changing, but rather forcing other things to change in the presence of it’s power.   The Ocean crushes  immense boulders into sand without balking at the seemingly intense challenge.  The ocean rolls sharp shards of glass into soft, touchable artwork.   The  ocean is fierce enough to provide a challenge for the daredevils who wish to  ride it’s power, yet gentle enough to softly brush the toes of the toddler who’s sole wish is to build a sandcastle.  The ocean can crash over you and beat your body,  slamming your face into the sand and leaving you with battle scars as memories, or the ocean can  wash over your feet as you dig your toes into the sand, feeling the cool, refreshing salt water against your skin, teasing, inviting, begging you to stay a while.  The ocean is always there waiting, never impatient, never expectant, but always welcoming.  The ocean seems calm and simple at first glance, but  underneath the surface is a wild and complex world that even the most extensive research cannot fully explain.  There’s so many different levels to the ocean; one can just play tag with the waves on the shore, or wade in and feel the waves crash on your legs,  or one can swim in deeper and catch the waves on a surfboard, and ride them back to the shore with a feeling that you’ve conquered something. The ocean is one of my favorite creations.
The ocean is a lot like God.
God is always constant through everything I go through in life. God is always there to welcome me with open arms when I come out exhausted and wounded on the other side, even though He was right there next to me cheering me on, even carrying me when it got too difficult.   God is immutable.  He never changes, but rather, I am changed in His presence, in His glory.  The Lord can reduce the most strong, hard-hearted, callous person to tears in a moment, and He can see the beautiful finished masterpiece in people even at their worst, ugliest moment.  God’s love is fierce enough to fight for the lives of His children, although it required great sacrifice, and yet His love is gentle enough to whisper healing into the hearts of the broken hearted.   God can crash over you, and around you, hitting you like lightning and filling you with His Spirit, or He can slowly wrap his arms around you, showering you with love.  God's always longingly watching, and waiting ever so patiently and calmly for us to give Him the slightest attention.  Even if I turn away from Him, He'll always welcome me back with a dazzling smile on His face, and He'll invite me to dance with Him again.  God is simple enough for children to understand and love, but complicated enough so that we'll never fully grasp the full extent of His character.
God astounds me.