The Ocean and The Love of God

As I sailed into the unknown, the love of God drew me deeper,

but not without. . . obstacles and detours.

The endless views of water effortlessly reduce our self-importance.

Like I said in the last blog, it’s not about me, 

and yet,

the Love of God pursues us,

each one of us, even to the ends of the earth.

The love of God is a substance that we will never fully plumb while we are on this earth.

Sometimes it takes stripping away the known and comfortable

for us lean into fresh experiences

 of His presence and His capacity to meet us,

and fill us. 

The collage of photos above illustrates briefly the rough seas as we circumvented hurricanes in the North Atlantic. 

The first two smaller photos were taken two or three seconds apart as we rocked up, down and sideways for a couple days. The third is of the only truly calm day.

[Just looking at some of my photos made my head begin to spin again, seriously.]

What is geographically an almost direct line from Lisbon to the Azores and on to Boston,

became a sharp turn south to miss two huge storms,

followed by a sharp turn west that gently navigated us back towards Boston.

That detour spoke clearly to me of some of the convergences and personal adjustments Abba is speaking to me about. 

I do not have a lot of answers to my questions yet,

but I am certain of one thing.

The love of God surrounds me like the endless, landless, horizon in the middle of the vast ocean.

My time in the Word on board was largely spent in John Chapters 13 through 16, and I am still plumbing the depths of these chapters. 

I am chosen

I am in the Father’s love as Jesus is

As I continually receive and flow, 

with the help of the Holy Spirit, 

Abba produces eternal fruit in and through me.

It’s only about me as I yield to the love of God, until I overflow

allowing others may experience the love of God for themselves.

The following hymn from the late 1800’s flooded my being during prayer this morning. It sums up what our Creator yearns for every person to know. The third verse fills this blog out well.

1 The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell.
The wand’ring child is reconciled
by God’s beloved Son.
The aching soul again made whole,
and priceless pardon won.

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
the saints’ and angels’ song.

2 When ancient time shall pass away,
and human thrones and kingdoms fall;
when those who here refuse to pray
on rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
all measureless and strong;
grace will resound the whole earth round—
the saints’ and angels’ song. [Refrain]

3 Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky. [Refrain]

Listen to George Beverly shea sing it here.