More Hawaii musings....

I had a couple more things I wanted to share about our time in Hawaii and a change in perspective in myself. The resort sat on a point that stuck out into the ocean. The point is nothing but hardened lava so it is difficult to walk on, but so worth it, just to walk out to the very tip and watch the waves rolling BY me. We are so used to standing on shore and seeing waves coming at us, and hearing the roaring and crashing sound. But standing on the point, the waves came toward me, and then divided up and rolled right on past me on either side of me. I could stand there and watch them from either side and look right down the inside of the tube. Beautiful blue tubes rolling past and making no sound whatsoever! Amazing. I wonder sometimes if I don't look at what God is doing and see it all skewed, from my human point of view, and not notice the beauty in the details of life...even the ones I am not really enjoying so much. Maybe I watch trials coming at me and hear them crashing toward me, and don't look within to the gentle quietness that comes when I just simply gaze at the One who dwells within me.

That lava that I was walking on is so hard and cold and lifeless. Who could imagine anything good coming out of it? I had a couple of neat blessings as I walked and just focused on all that I have in my relationship with God and with the people He has placed in my life. One thing was just a little chance happening that would mean nothing to anybody else, but it is one of those things I have come to expect from my Father any time I am at the ocean.

From my days of walking the beaches with my friend Marie, I learned to look for one special shell or rock that would be a good reminder of that particular beach walk. He has never failed to give me one very significant thing to bring home and a story to go with it. But standing there on the lava, I would not have expected anything pretty or even resembling a shell! The waves don't often wash up over that part of the point. But there in front of me one morning was a beautiful shell! There was not one other shell within 100 yards of there or even a rock! Just a sweet little reminder that God can do anything! And He loves to do sweet things for ME! As I delight in Him, He delights in me, and blesses me in wonderful ways, big and small. I think maybe I like the small ones best :-)

I often wonder how God can make anything beautiful out of the hard things in our lives. He seems to specialize in taking the ugly, hard trials and tragedies, and turns them into something meaningful and rich. I loved looking down ever so often at the lava beneath my feet and seeing a lovely green plant growing out of that dark & dry stuff! How does He do that!? All I know is I can trust Him with all my hurts and my concerns, knowing He will turn my sorrow into joy and my mourning into laughter. How great He is!