The Ocean

As I write, in front of me, not in the far distance but relatively close by I am presented with a glorious beach and ocean… From my vantage point, in the middle of this spectacular view lies an intricate rocky ridge that stretches into the blue abyss. The ocean amazes and attracts us because of its mystery and consistency. Beneath the blue surface lies a mysterious world, unknown to us. We can only imagine and fantasise what lies beneath and beyond the horizon.

When I first moved here, the ocean mesmerised me and I was very excited to live right next to it (for someone who has lived his whole life 7 hours from the ocean) but as time went by I realised that the ocean slowly started to lose its wonder. It was still mysterious and attractive but not in the same way anymore. I guess its like that with any new thing, a car, a new house, a marriage… What first amazed us slowly loses its appeal.

The ocean didn’t change, but I did, the wonder and mystery of it is still there but I have lost perception of it. My perception of it changed and it ceased to amaze me because it had somehow become common to me. Even though the ocean can never be “common” my thought patterns and ingrained brain connections have become used to its own perception of it. So what Im trying to say is - I have become used to my view of the ocean and not the ocean itself…

So the other night I was left without peace in myself while reflecting about certain things that happened in the past and I realised that continual introspection is not the way to solve certain internal dilemmas. Instead I believe the holy spirit lead me again to the ocean. I just lifted my eyes from where I was and tried to put my attention on it, the waves, the sounds and the constant cadence, but I just could not do it without being pulled back into my own thoughts and struggles. I tried again and again, realising that I would have to view these unresolvable issues from an external point of view, because my own efforts and perception of the problem or the way to resolve it just wasn’t enough… 

I tried again to rest my attention on the ocean… I closed my eyes and started listening… Then I realised that the roaring waves were much louder than they usually were and that It had probably been like this for the whole day - I just wasn't aware of it. I missed it because I was used to it. My attention started to focus more and more on the ocean, under the moonlight I could see the waves over the rocky ridge going in different directions as they break over the rocks and it seemed that the sound of the waves came all the more closer with each break.

I realised that the ocean had a life of its own… Its unaware of me… I realised that this ocean in front of me is much bigger and more majestic than I am… I am dwarfed in its presence.

Something in me said - enough is enough, you’re wasting your time with this, get up and do something already… I looked away, thought of something to do, and just before I stood up, I gave one last look at the constant waves over the rocks and then within me I recognised it’s beauty again. The beauty that I saw when I first arrived here. I didn’t know what I saw, but the more stared at the constant rolling of waves under the moonlight the more I realised what the beauty was, that that I was feeling and seeing again…

The waves and the entire ocean, the sound each wave makes when it breaks over the rocks and breaks onto the beach - I realised that it was in full adoration and worship of God. As I realised this I realised that it had been worshipping God all along - with each and every wave and I was totally unaware of it. I was moping about some stuff while this majestic and unchartered ocean was worshipping the creator of all things all along. But now as I was recognising this, I was joining it in it’s worship of God. 

The ocean IS, it’s not trying to be. The ocean is reflecting the glory of God by just being what it was created to be. It is totally itself at it’s core and it is created as an instrument to worship God. The ocean cannot cease to worship God, it would have to cease to exist to stop. Everything it does is worship, there is nothing it can do that is not worship.

And as I was connecting through its worship I realised that I… and you too are instruments of worship. In our core and at a cellular level we are already magnificent worshippers of God. Every cell and every part of us reflects God and is in adoration towards Him. When you and I become aware of this we join in this bodily worship to God in our consciousness. We become aware of His magnificence, His presence his indescribable greatness, his imminence.

The ocean never lost its appeal, I lost sight of what it truly is. God has never left or withdrew His presence from me, I was merely dumbed down to the glory of it all.