Allured

I am and always have been allured by the water.  Having grown up in Minnesota (Land of 10,000+ Lakes), water/lakes were an integral part of our lives. We enjoyed cabin stays during the summer.  Some of my friends lived “at the lake”. My dad took us fishing at various lakes from a very young age.  We enjoyed recreation such as skiing, boat rides, and wake boarding at the lake.  Water was something I knew well.

The mystery of the water intrigued me.  Its depth.  Its changing colors. Its movement. Its calm. There was a whole other world in that water.  It was home to many of God’s creations. Not everyone could see it, but it was there.  I appreciated it and it has always drawn me in. 

Fast forward to age 29 when I moved to California to attend graduate school. I was introduced to a whole different kind of water – the ocean.

What is one thing that allures you?  That draws you in...that makes you wonder…there is more than this...there is depth and meaning and a beauty beyond our comprehension in this world? A beauty that outweighs the ugly that intersects our lives? A beauty that is there to remind us we are not alone? A mystery that allures and calls to us?

The ocean began to teach me the more I spent time with it. (Note: When I first moved to California I would go to the ocean and drive the Pacific Coast Highway as much as I could.) I sensed the vastness of this water - I could never see the end of it. I witnessed the power of this water in the movement of the crashing waves. I could never know how deep it was and it wouldn't probably be safe for me to try to find out, so I would just be satisfied to be amazed as I wondered at how deep it actually is. The ocean has an incredible way of calming and soothing. It rocks back and forth. The waves pushing up on the shore and pulling back out create a certain rhythm that speaks to human souls I believe. It connects us when we need to feel connected. 

I think that God uses water to connect to me/us. It is something that He created so that we might know Him deeper (pun intended). I share this today, because I believe it's valuable to become aware of what it is that God uses to get your attention.  What draws you in?  I think it helps us to see Him as relational.  He knows about our days and our hearts.  He created our surroundings to remind us that He is near. He wants us to be allured by everything that He is.  

Reflection: 

What does God use in your daily surroundings to allure you and get your attention? 

Why are you drawn to it/him/her? 

Why does this certain creation speak to you specifically? Is there a circumstance, memory, reason that God uses this particular surrounding to connect with you? 

What have you learned from it/him/her?  How has it/she/he impacted you? 

Name some other ways that God relates with you/communicates beauty, hope, or peace to you?  How does He illustrate more of who He is through your surroundings/His creations?  

Why do you think you are drawn to beauty unique to your story? 

Journeying Together,
C