Friday, March 9, 2012

missing the sea



Disney's The Little Mermaid was released the same year I was born and is the first movie I ever remember seeing. When I was about six years old, I genuinely considered swimming into the bay and becoming a mermaid but opted out because I didn't want to leave my family. Part of me still wants to believe that's actually possible.

I grew up just down the street from the sea. It's always been a part of my life as long as I can remember.

Have you ever had a place that, every time you are there, just leaves you in awe of God's beauty... That leaves you standing star struck by the vast, amazing work of art before you... That place for me has always been the ocean. I've never lived farther than fifteen minutes away from it and now that I no longer do, I realize how much I took that for granted.

But to be honest, missing the sea has made me realize how closed minded I have so often been to beauty of another sort. The same God who created the majestic coast of California also created the ever changing hills that surround me now. He created waves and sandy shores, but He also created trees and sunsets and seasons. All of which didn't have to look pretty in order to be practical, but are. God has created a beautiful world for our enjoyment and His glory. So who am I to say that any single stroke of this painting we call home is of lesser beauty and value than another?

I still miss the ocean as much as ever. But I am learning to stand in awe of golden light shining through intertwined branches. of snow that blankets hills in pristine white. of bricks and rooftops laid three hundred years ago still standing. I am learning to find beauty in the everyday things that are not yet familiar to me. And I am learning to see God's workmanship where I never thought to look for it before.

4 comments:

Laura Hernandez said...

Funny.... Just today I thinking even though we live 10 minutes away from the ocean, we never go. Spur of the moment I grabbed our lunches and we headed to the beach. Something about its peacefulness. No more taking it for granted. Love you guys. Next time your back, we're having a picnic on the beach.

Heather said...

This is Heather (we met at Paul's party on Friday)! Thank you, again, for sharing - for being honest! It has been fantastic to be able to "meet" you via your blog. I hope you enjoyed a beautiful (albeit slightly chilly) Saturday in Lancaster & as the weather continues to grow warmer, I hope we have more sunny days for you to explore the area! I look forward to crossing paths with you again soon - whether that's at the Lancaster Campus or even Chestnut Hill! ;)

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing, Jess. :)
I love the photo you added, btw.
Have a blessed weekend!
much love, colie

Pandaundercover said...

I commented, and clicked publish, then my internet went out (again) and it got erased. So now I'm not going to rewrite it. But I will just say, I miss the ocean too. And if you guys haven't had the chance to see the Atlantic ocean yet, you should totally make a trip out to the beaches in New Hampshire when the weather warms up. :-)