How Beautiful
- Hannah Sterling
- Jun 16, 2018
- 5 min read
I closed my eyes and stood. I stood and soaked it all in the best I could. I could feel every single toe sinking deep waiting for the water to glaze over the tops of them. My mind trails back to earlier that day when I asked Noah if he thought the sand looked like sugar cookie dough too.
If I opened my eyes and looked in front of me I saw Adam's ale dancing closest and a dark horizon following behind. If I looked up I saw Scorpius, Jupiter, Lio and Ursa Major strewn across the sky. If I looked next to me I saw someone I loved deeply; someone who loves me deeper than I deserve. So, I prayed, stood deep in the sand, and embraced the joy and wonder of the moment. All of this was expressing God's goodness, his beauty, and his love; I was in awe. Was I close enough to let the water touch my toes? Full coverage for three seconds and my face lights up. I reached for my "H" necklace that I wasn't wearing and substituted the grasp with the old sweatshirt I had on. I could hear the waves folding and my mind put me somewhere I wasn't. "They're over your head the next ones on you." I believe it for a second and smiled, but then remember that it's been a while since my toes had even felt the cool embrace of the liquid that was supposedly over my head. Was Adam's ale teasing me now? I waited and waited but let my mind run down other rabbit trails. How could a God so wonderful love me so much. How could he love me enough to merely provide the joy of his creation. The detail of it all sent me into a peace that seemed like it could last forever. I remember that the water still hasn't touched my toes again and I crave the feeling. As I lean my head on my shoulder and hold on to the collar of my sweatshirt I am pulled into another wonder, "hey, I know you're in heaven right now, but could you hold the light for me while I reel my line in?" says Noah. He knows me so well. Anyone else probably would have watched me stand there and thought I was either super weird or that I was sad. I am thankful I can rest in who I am in Christ, and I am thankful I can be myself and Noah understands. So, I aided his fishery and we sat together. We talked about the wonder and passed random thoughts into each others laps. I love him so much. He turned on Mosaic's album Glory and Wonder; I couldn't have picked anything better to listen to right then.
"Oh how beautiful How beautiful You are my reward Love unfailing And I do not deserve Still you call me And all my hope And all my joy Is found in you"
(Mosaic "How Beautiful")
"Moon and Stars Telling us of who You are You light the way and move our hearts From across the universe Day and Night The song we bring is Your delight You listen close to every cry You hang on every word All across the universe We can feel Your love on earth All across the universe Your love revealed Your love is real"
(Mosaic "Across the Universe")
So, how about when the love feels unreachable? How about when I feel unreachable?
As I have sat in the glory and wonder of this week I have also sat in the complete opposite.
How can I be so wary and moveable?
I am sinful, and I will always be weak without Christ.
As I have read through the last couple chapters of 2 Corinthians this week Paul talks about his weakness a lot. He explains the thorn in his side and how it demonstrates God's grace in his life. It is something constant in his life.
Notice how it's in his flesh.
We are in a constant battle against our flesh.
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
"On my own behalf I will not boast,
except of my weakness--
though if I should wish to boast,
I would not be a fool for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it,
so that no one would think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,
a thorn was given me in the flesh,
a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
But he said to me, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore
I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak then I am strong."
A while ago my Dad showed me a video. This was a video that talked about a lot of GOOD stuff. If you have seen the video, the word good being in all caps in the last sentence might be a little hint to what video I am talking about. It's a simple video really. A former Navy Seal explains his tactic on viewing everything as a good thing. Now when I say everything I mean everything. I encourage you to watch it. When Paul chose to see the thorn in his flesh as GOOD his entire perspective and outcome changed.
Here is the link:
So, when you feel like the glory and wonder is gone and you are battling the thorn choose to boast in your weakness. We can boast in our weakness because it shows us just how much we need God. That is one of the thoughts Noah and I tossed around for a minute while we sat on the beach. The fact that the ocean and all of creation worships and obeys God shows us just how much we need him.
We can learn a lot from God's creation. Sometimes learning from God's creation is just taking it back to the simple, but deep things.
Dr. Vint Virga, a practicing DVM, explains that there are ten things we should learn from animals that are extremely important.
1. Savor the moment
2. Heed your instincts
3. Keep focused on what's most important
4. Don't get bogged down on words
5. Take time to rest
6. Remember to play
7. Don't take yourself so seriously
8. Let go of attachment to being right or wrong
9. Practice forgivness
10. Love unconditionally
I highly encourage you to go read the blog that simply explains these:
Sometimes evaluating God's creation can teach us a lot. No matter what thorn is in our side.
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