I am a mermaid.
An ocean obsessive.
Ever since I was a tiny girl, vacations at my grandparents' home in Florida spelled one thing for me: a visit to the salty seas that never seemed to end...a variable fairytale for a land-locked Midwestern farm girl who had only Lake Michigan as her large water experience.
The sand between my toes....sand castles to be woven from bits of broken shell and rock..the elusive conch shell to be found and taken home for a salty day reminder.
And there were the waves. The beautiful, powerfully frightening force of nature...the swelling water that rose
and rose
and rose
until it came down with a thunderous crash upon the land, dragging everything back into the depths with each pass of its aquatic fingers.
As this girl grew up, the ocean changed.
No more was it a place to play and race along the shore...now it was a place to dream. To stand on the edge of the shell-scattered sand and letting the sea breeze rustle my hair...it was a place where the voice of my God could echo with the waves.
It was the place to let the mercy crash...
...it was the place to drown.And even now, as I find myself landlocked once again with my next oceanside visit two months yet to come, my mind drifts seawards.
Rock bottom is the perfect place from which to rise.
The waves are still crashing hard on me....dragging me back into the ocean until I feel as though I might let go and drown without a trace...
...but then I catch His swell.
I do not drown. I crash to the shore...and rise
and rise
and rise
The crystal wave holds me......safe in His hand.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." ~Isaiah 43:2-3
(Guest posting over at Love August today. You can find me here.)
Amazing post, the pictures were so lovely!
ReplyDelete-Jocee <3
Your way with words! So stunning! I'm jealous :)
ReplyDeletelove this! the ocean is my haven, my sacred place. i love it. my dad was in the navy, so growing up i was never far from the beach. it was fabulous. now i'm about 3 hours away, and even that is too far! i wish i could go every weekend something. i feel so close to God when i'm there.
ReplyDelete"rock bottom is the perfect place from which to rise." i love that. so true. i can relate on so many different levels... i love those verses from Isaiah; they have always been some of my favorites, and that page in my Bible is well-worn.
thank you for touching my heart today. <3
I love the ocean. It's just another one of those things where you can't look at it and not see a real and wonderful Creator. Beautiful post, Rachel <3
ReplyDelete"the crystal waves hold me". so beautiful & so true!
ReplyDelete"...but then I catch His swell.
ReplyDeleteI do not drown. I crash to the shore...and rise . . . "
Very poetic and beautiful. I love the ocean and well, and all the beauties that surround it. I can't wait to go again myself.
You have a very talented and special gift for writing. I truly enjoy reading your stories. I pray that your "writing well" never runs dry. :)
Oh I grew up by the sea so I know your love and fascination. I share it too! And I love the analogy of Christ's love and the sea. So beautiful and so true!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post—so much gorgeous imagery in here.
ReplyDeletep.s. love that owl city song. ;)