I find the sea, well, water in general and the ocean in particular so very powerful. Looking out from the cliffs of Howth into the vast and seemingly endless body of water that is the Irish Sea, I'm reminded that God's creation is quite big and amazing and I by contrast am quite small and insignificant. And yet, as Psalm 8 says, we humans are made just a little bit lower than the angels. We're at the top of God's good, no, his very good creation. So as much as I love the outdoors and the fantastic beauty of God's artistic design, how much more am I amazed by family, friends and neighbors!
Two years ago tomorrow Ashlyn breathed the breath of life for the first time. Having Ashlyn has made me love humanity even more than before and hate some other things with a greater passion. I hate war, crime, disease, accidents, and the general brokenness of this world far more than I did before Ashlyn arrived. And as she gets older, I not only love her more and more, but I've found that I love other people more too as I'm reminded that everyone's some mother's or father's son or daughter. Knowing that Ashlyn, like all people will have to live through and face the brokenness of God's good creation (and the brokenness of her own life and the lives of those who will live around her due to sin), I'm even more grateful that God has already begun to recreate this world in anticipation of the new creation in the age to come! This is good news worth living and good news worth sharing. - Shay
Shay, very well written. I often think about the very things you have mentioned and am becoming more and more aware that even the "Sadam's and Hitlers" of the world were once innocent babes held by mother's who loved them and created by God who SO longed to be in relationship with them that HE made the ultimate sacrifice to make it possible. That understanding fuels my desire that all around me would come to a saving relationship with Him, the creator of all very good things! Love to you all!
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