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The world is filled with awesome grandeur—the majesty of snow-capped mountains; the Grand Canyon’s inspiring depths; the solemn forests of stately columned green, the delicate crystalline structures in caves. Even the world in miniature can fill us with awe as we observe the intricate structure of a flower, its petals, stamen and leaves—a miracle of beauty.
The most majestic scene I have ever witnessed in this glory-filled earth however, lies on the ocean floor.
Despite my post last month, The Spiritual Truths I Learned in Swim Class, I am not a very good swimmer. In fact, I have a little understood condition known as oceandrainaphobia, or fear of the drain at the bottom of the ocean.
Hey, writers are supposed to have an active imagination, right?
Despite my imagined fear though, I try not to pass up an opportunity to explore the ocean depths with my snorkel, fins and as many layers of life jackets as I can tie around me and still fit inside a large rubber tube.
The first time I snorkeled was at Captain Cook's monument on the “big island” of Hawaii. I expected to see a flurry of living color darting in and out of my vision, above an ocean floor of dark rocks and hidden places.When I finally braved the ocean and placed my goggles into the water, the scene made me gasp in disbelief and wonder.
Below me was a world of fantasy and imagination; color and texture, unlike any image I’d seen anywhere on the surface of the earth. It was a world within a world and a world separate from our world above. And for a moment, I forgot the world above; forgot the boat bobbing next to me just beyond my reach; forgot even the ocean drain lurking somewhere nearby.
In the sun-touched reaches of the deep, the world was alight with color. The silence was alive with the whispers of life. The cool waters reflected and refracted the light reaching its depth from heaven above, oblivious even to the sun’s existence. There were no dark rocks and lurking shadows. There was only color and light as my vision was filled with living rock of a coral reef.
It was a surreal scene—an unknown world, ignorant that it was different; sublimely confident that it was simply another creation by the same God who created us all.
That experience changed forever the way I looked at God’s world, understanding for the first time, that here—wherever we are—is not all there is. God shows us His august majesty throughout the earth—above and below.
Even in places mankind may never have been before and may never see, beauty is there because God created it. God is beauty and majesty and augustness and His creation reflects who He is.
I’ll still tie on my life jackets and hold tight to the big rubber tube. But to glimpse God’s majesty once more, not even the drain at the bottom of the ocean can keep me away.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, you have filled this world with your glory. Help us take the time to see the beauty around us and to recognize that it is a reflection of your majesty. Show us ways to praise and glorify you more today. Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you remember the first time you saw with your own eyes what existed at the bottom of the ocean? How did seeing that make you feel?
2 comments:
oh.my.goodness!! oceandrainaphobia? I'm curious, did you have bad dreams of this as a youngster? I find the quiet when we're underwater to add to the majesty in some way... maybe because it shuts off one of our senses so we "see" more with our eyes that way? not sure, but the place you described in Hawaii is a very cool place! Awesome post Carol !!
@ Chris - evidently I'm not alone in a fear of drains--pools, bathtubs, garbage disposals, etc. OK, so I go a little extra with the ocean...LOL. Thanks for the comment Chris.
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