An Afternoon Insight

As I sat on the balcony of my hotel room reading my book and gazing out over the white sands and blue-green waters of the gulf something cool happened. I reached the end of a chapter, laid the book aside, folded my hands in my lap and talked with God. It began as a prayer but quickly became a conversation and object lesson.

Seeing the vastness of the Gulf of Mexico I realized that the immense expanse of water that I could see is just a minute fraction of the Gulf itself. In the realization of the largeness of the Gulf I realized that it was just a minute fraction of the Atlantic Ocean. In that realization came the understanding that the Atlantic Ocean is just a fraction of the seas and oceans that cover the majority of Earth.

Then I understood that whatever scale of understanding I have of God and His attributes (faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, power, holiness....) that is just a minute fraction of all that He is. The fraction that I understand is more than I can comprehend yet it is quite enough to overwhelm me. I can no more grasp the depth, width, length and height of God than I can drink the Gulf of Mexico. I can only taste the Gulf and even if I drink to my utmost capacity, the Gulf would not be diminished at all. So too it is with God. I can only taste Him. Though He fills me to my capacity, he is in no way diminished or reduced.

My understanding of God is as a drop in the Gulf of Mexico. The God who loves me is huge beyond description. Yet... he meets with me, talks with me, strengthens me, edifies me, encourages me, sits with me and above all that, He loves me.

The tears leaking from my eyes run down my face, fall to the ground and ultimately... end up in the Gulf. Fifteen minutes on the balcony with God, what a delight.

Shalom,
Carl