For decades....a half century really....I had a fascination with the ocean. I never saw it until I was 19 years old in basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. An oceanfront on vacation was always a particular blessing. My wife and I have been on a few cruises and my favorite spot on the ship was the promenade deck that extends from bow to stern on both sides of the ship....often with the lifeboats hanging above. I would sit there for hours upon hours as my wife was at the pool....gazing through the deck's railing....over the polished teak....once on a cruise to Bermuda....imagining how many great leaders of the past had viewed the exact same scene.....everyone from Churchill to JFK.
So I am on the last day of a vacation right now as I type....a table pulled over to the sliding door of the suite overlooking the Atlantic. It will be cloudy today....and a little cool....69 degrees....my favorite weather. We decided on something a little different this time....a few days at Hilton Head....and then a few days a little north at Myrtle.While at Hilton Head...I thought that my fascination with the ocean was finally over. I'm getting too old for the hot sun and hauling the umbrella and chairs down to the sand. The beach was crowded....with umbrellas to our left and right and before and behind us....with women of many ages....and sizes....wearing swimsuits that would fit into one of those little travel poncho bags.
Where had God's creation gone....the heat alone was making me weary as I stayed out from under the scorching sun? There was no poetry in my soul as there so often had been. Oh I had my Bible under the umbrella....and a good Christian book that I finished....and my headset to listen to....I think it was Spurgeon....but I was an interloper....an odd outcast who may as well have set up a sandwich board next to my chair with a sign....'the end is near!'
And then we drove north for a few hours. Some clouds were coming in....and the temperature was a little lower....from the low 80s to the high 70s. Save for the lifeguards....and a scattering of families....we were almost alone. The sun was not scorching....the people were more interested in looking for shark's teeth than walking a fashion runway....and lo and behold....with all praise to our wondrous and merciful Lord and Savior and....coming King....the glory of God's creation returned to my soul.
So I sit here typing....monocular at the ready to zoom in on dolphins or maybe a whale....breaching and giving glory to God in its own way. The world is in utter chaos and collapsing....right on God's perfect schedule....but all is well with my soul.....for the Father is in absolute control....and the Son and His mighty angels are approaching with a brightness that no mere celestial orb of a star can give....and the Holy Spirit is here....to pick up and encourage even the most frail as I.
Looking back....reflecting on a half century of fascination with the ocean....I don't think that it was the power of the waters and the waves....or even the beauty....that so moved me....but the lack of man and his machinations. As I finish this post I see an expanse of gray water....a thin layer of clouds....ten green umbrellas set up....an unoccupied lifeguard stand....and a protective sand dune with it's overgrowth....oh and one other thing....palm trees...O if I could but reach out from this third story setting....and pull off some those palm branches....and spread them over the sand....to prepare the way for the return of the Creator of everything before me!.
