And yet, and yet…

This past month was a unique one for me as I had the opportunity in a three week stretch to stand in the frigid waters of the Pacific in the Juan de Fuca Strait and then in the warm waves of the Atlantic in the Gulf of Mexico. Almost 3,000 miles apart, these two great bodies of water surround our continent. It was a marvelous experience, though chilly in the Pacific and jelly-fishy in the Atlantic.

There was one major commonality between the two vistas: the unfettered dream. When standing at the crest of the waves looking out over thousands of miles of unbroken ocean, for me the enormous space and ability of adventure wrapped itself around my heart. Whether it was from sea-faring ancestry or not, I wondered at the unbroken, ever-moving mass of it. What lands and mountains were out there? What storms and depths? The sea asks questions that are not quickly answered.

But while my heart and mind were gripped by the questions, my soul resounded with a hymn: “Here is love, vast as the ocean, lovingkindness as the flood, when the Prince of Life our ransom shed for us His precious blood. Who His love cannot remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven’s eternal day.”

In the ebb and flow of adventure and mystery and the everchanging horizon of waves, the love of God remains. It is bigger, greater, higher, deeper, closer than we could ever imagine. And while the rivers flood to fill the oceans and never do, His love floods our hearts to overflowing. When on the shore of the sea, I am always amazed at how big He is, how small I am, and how closely and gently He loves me.

“On the mount of crucifixion, fountains open deep and wide. From the floodgates of God’s mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide. Grace and Love like mighty rivers flow incessant from above. Heaven’s peace and perfect justice kiss the guilty world with love.”

“Who His love cannot remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven’s eternal day.”