Bigger than an Ocean

So... This morning, Jerianne the Weatherlady rated today as a '10' so I quickly jumped into one of the rockers on my porch to begin enjoying it.  It's true.  There was '10-ness' everywhere:  cool breeze, clear sunshine, birds twitterpating, flowers putting out color, it's greener than green out here... all is good.  Peeling my eyes off the environment, I opened my devotional.

Today's reading was an invitation to get to know God and expand my experiences of Him.  The reading compared God to an ocean.  (I love the ocean.) When I stand at the edge of the one, I know I am only seeing a tiny tiny part of the beauty of it all.  My mind cannot fathom how vast that ocean is or what all is going on inside of it.  Every square inch is so complex... and there are so many square inches... and there are so many square inches I cannot see!  The hugeness and depth of it, the goodness and perfection of it, the strength and power of it are so far beyond me.  Trying to figure out the ocean is truly overwhelming.  Is this really what I think about God?  Do I understand how much I don't understand about God?  Actually, there is an limit to the ocean and absolutely no limit to God.  God is far more than an ocean!

This leads me to some other questions:  Do I ask enough of God?  Do I anticipate seeing Him move?  Do I draw on any of His unfathomable love and power?  Shouldn't I be relying on Him more?  Believing more?  Do I even have a clue what He's all about?  Isn't it important that I know more?  Shouldn't I be making this a priority?

Our huge, mighty, fathomless, bigger-than-an-ocean God invites us all to get to know Him and experience Him.  Rev. 3:20 says:  "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."  That is a clear invitation to get to know Him.  It sounds like all I need to do is 'open' my heart and mind to Him and He will do all the rest.  Who wouldn't like a good meal and some good conversation with God?  It's time to open that door...  He's knocking...

A Royal Carpet of Blue

So.... It was one of those magical moments... very unexpected... On a Sunday, after all the duties of church services were accomplished, John (lower picture), Jack (upper picture) and I jumped into the car and drove out of town to a wooded area that a friend was raving about.  Al said we HAD to see it!  It was Mother's Day and our son Jack came along, even though he had pen orders to fill.  (yes, I pulled the Mother's Day card.)

We drove over hill and dale and even on gravel and behold!  We couldn't believe our eyes!  There were bluebells everywhere... a sea of color... a royal carpet of bluebells under a high canopy of trees.  The birds were lustily singing in their highest and loudest octaves - evidently the color blue really turned them on.  It was a sight and sound I will never forget.

Rummaging through my Scripture memory bank, I recalled a perfect verse to fit the occasion:  1 Peter2:9:  "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."  I think we caught the Heavenly Father in an act of wooing.  He knows what a flower nut I am and He knows how this royal carpet of bluebells would be sensory overload for me.  He was helping me experience Him in a way that speaks to me and my heart.  The blueness of it all reminded me that we are children of a royal King, in fact, the King of all kings and creation!  We are His chosen royal children.  And what was my royal response?  Indeed, I declared the praises of Him Who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light...  Loudly!!