Hello!
At the end of last year, I had the pleasure of visiting the KZN coastline for the first time. Although I was looking forward to the warm waters everyone raves about, before I left, I was told on multiple occasions to beware! I could be head deep without taking five steps into the water and the waves were much rougher. I’m not saying I didn’t believe these warnings, but come on, it can’t be that bad?
Fast forward two weeks, and I’m flung flat on my back by a wave that barely reaches my knees. I learnt very quickly to burrow my feet into the sand and hope for the best when a larger swell came. My feet also began to appreciate the soft sands we are lucky enough to have back home. Walking on 40 grit sandpaper would be gentler than a stroll on those beaches!
And of course, you cannot visit the KZN coast without being blown away by the jungle covered hills that enclose the area. I saw more shades of green in one kilometer of roadside forest than in the entirety of the Eastern Cape. The diversity and lushness of it all was wonderous. Until you need to walk through it. I missed the path back to the campsite a couple of times because of the wild overgrowth.
But once you have made your pilgrimage through the jungle and found a good spot to sit and watch the waves, what a sight it is! Nothing can truly capture the immense smallness you feel when a gigantic swell breaks over the rocks. Or the irresistible pull of the water around you as it rushes back to join the next incoming wave. Or the thunderous vibrations that you can feel more than hear, as a wave gathers water and energy before crashing down. I am sure I am not the only one who has sat and watched the waves on a stormy day and been in awe of the ocean’s untameable power.
Sitting there and just appreciating the brute strength of nature puts into perspective, the stories we hear in Children’s church of how Jesus calmed the waves and walked on the waters. When we read the Psalms, we find scores of verses about the awesome power of the Lord. How many times have we read how God calms seas, levels mountains, and shakes the earth? “The voice of the Lord is powerful: the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” Psalm 29: 4.
This is the God of the Old and New Testament. The God who flooded the earth and withheld rain for three and a half years. The God who brought proud nations to their knees but raised up the meek and powerless. We serve an awesome God. We are loved by a gracious God. It is wonderful to know that we are His children.
Sometimes though, we need to stop and appreciate who this God is. We need to bow down in humility and worship Him. Take time to meditate on Psalms proclaiming the majesty of God. Gape at the power of nature and remember to praise the one controlling it all. Let us raise a voice of praise and proclaim, “Our God, How Great You Are”!
Much love in Christ
Heather