Churning

The ocean is churning today.  It’s angry.  Instead of blue and emerald, it’s frothing hot chocolate.  

I didn’t know it could do that.  

Last night and all day yesterday was rain and loads of it. The wind picked up and we had a good storm, with intense waves grinding up onto the beach  The rivers swelled and all that ground water came gushing down into the sea. So instead of blue, today, it’s dark mocha brown.  

I wonder if I’d read in a text book about oceans, how long it might take me to learn what I can plainly see happening before my eyes? 

Maybe I’d read a whole volume on oceans, and never come to that tidbit of knowledge?  Maybe whoever wrote all the volumes on oceans never thought it was pertinent information, so they left it out. Maybe I could read my whole life, and never look up and out.  I could never get my feet wet. Never experience the booming, curling rush of the wave slamming against me.

Does God see me, so fat with knowledge and yet so lacking in real-life.

Sometimes, I’m as ugly as the ocean today.

So are you.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t judge us by our cover? By how we appear?

On the ugly days, He still finds beauty. ‘How!?’ We think...yet it’s true.  He still gives mercy and grace and tenderness, even when we’re churning.

And on our pristine days, when we feel immaculate, He can still peer inside and see what we’ve kept hidden.

Yesterday it was raining so hard, I couldn’t help it.  I stripped down and stepped out into some serious water pressure. :)  I took a nice, natural shower.  It would have been great had I ended it there, but I happened to look over and see an amazing amount of water falling off of my roof.  

It looked so good!

Hundreds of gallons just cascading right off onto the ground.  So I stuck my head under it, then my whole body.  It was pounding!  Awesome!  

‘I wonder how clean this is....wonder if I could drink it?’ I thought.

So I grabbed a clear plastic cup and filled it.  

Whoa!  I’d have been just as well to take my bath in the Carmel Latte Sea!  

And I’m paying for it today.  My eyes are swollen, I have a headache, and I’m just not on top of my game.

It looked good from a distance...

Another lesson learned today, and at no extra charge!

‘Therefore, as God’s chosen people (because you really are!) holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves (over your dirty underwear) with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other (tolerate the garbage) and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another (because your brothers and sisters are eventually gonna tick you off). Forgive as the Lord forgave you (because you’re just as annoying, and undeserving).  And over all these virtues put on love, (lay yourself DOWN) which binds them all together (and cuts out all of your selfishness) in perfect unity.’  Colossians 3:12-14. 

Out of respect to the churning ocean, I decided to mix in my thoughts along with the verse today. 


P.S. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have the final distribution with the Mountain church.  But with the weather, I'm not sure if anyone will come down.  After that I'm thinking I'll be out of Bibles.  Before I go to buy more, I'll be going to Port to pick up my family....and Mr. Todd Boote, one of my brothers from my prayer group.  Please add our travels to your prayers.