The Mystery of the Ocean (#fmf)

What is it about the ocean that draws us into the beauty of it? Is it the vastness of sky and sea, the strength that unfurls with each wave, the breathtaking colors of the sunrise over the ocean, the simplicity yet complexity of nature, the joy of finding unique shells, smooth stones, sea glass, or sharks teeth, the curiosity of creatures big and small that fly, dive, burrow, glide, or swim, the serenity that comes when life stops for a few minutes as we notice all the beauty that surrounds us?

We visited North Topsail Beach a couple weeks ago and the pictures below are from that vacation. As we walked along the beach one evening, Psalm 36:5-6 and Psalm 139:17-18 kept coming to mind as I looked across the ocean and as my feet shuffled in the sand.

God’s love is meteoric,
His loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
His verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.   Psalm 36:5-6

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.   Psalm 139:17-18

Not even the ocean can contain the love, the surety, the ways, and the mind of God, nor could the grains of sand under my feet, ahead of my feet, or behind my feet compare to the sheer amount of thoughts God has toward me alone. It's too mind boggling at times but maybe that's where the true beauty of the ocean lies--in all of the mysteries that we will never be able to fully see or comprehend. True beauty lies in the moments that call us to “Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)--it's like God's personal invitation to let it all go and savor the mysteries of the ocean.

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes (although, I usually go longer bcs FMF helps fuel that spark in me to write). No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart. To find out more, visit Five Minute Friday. This week's word is "OCEAN".