Close Encounter

An amazing thing happened today. First and most important, we talked about being thankful to God. There are many things to be thankful for, yet, I think we begin by being thankful that God IS. Out of that fact, we find that God also looks out for us & loves us. There is a major theme in all of the Old Testament; God says "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Over and over again, He laments the fact that this isn't happening and rejoices that someday, it will happen.



As trivial as it may seem to others we believe that God is behind all things. I don't know that God is "finding us parking spots" or getting us sale prices at Old Navy, but I do believe that God just being gives me the opportunity to thank Him for moments in my life. If He is my everything, then I want to aknowledge that He is in my everyday life.

So with that spirit, my boys and I thank You God. First of all, we thank You that You are. We agree that You were behind what we saw today. Somehow, You made us an appointment. Gave us a moment together.

We were walking along the beach, Christian, looking down the beach jokingly pointed at a figure and said "maybe that person down there is a sea lion; do they walk like people?" We all sort of laughed and pointed, saying, "that one looks like a seal."

As we progressed down the beach, I realized that Christian was right, it was a California Sea Lion, on the beach. I flagged down Connor, and Cameron and we slowly and quietly walked together toward our wild friend. We got within about 8-10 feet of her. She kept rolling her head at us, and looking with big wet eyes. When we got within about 6 feet she began to get nervous and walked a foot or two toward the water, so we stopped, sat down, and just enjoyed each others company for about 20 minutes.












As much as we would have liked to have had our camera working, the batteries were dead. And as inconsequential as it may sound, that moment was a wonderful moment, and we thanked God for it. One of the boys commented on the way home that they thanked God for the whole world.

When people say, "God blessed me so much today, and I came across this great sale on banana's, and those were the greatest bananas that I have ever found in that store and God ordained that I be there". I find that to be border line ridiculous, childish, immature. But I wonder why I feel so indignant at their proposal that God is finding them banana sales. Maybe I'm jealous. I wish God would lead me to a banana sale. But another part of me says God is too good for that, He just isn't around to give people such insignificant stuff, and they should not drag my holy God into their random day.

It's not that God brought this sea lion to us because we have Him, as if He is our magic genie. Other people were there too and by their language I wonder if they would thank God like we did. Maybe they came in on a moment ordained and shared in it (it happens all the time). I don't know, but I do know that whatever the circumstances behind our close encounter; we thanked God. We aknowleged God in that moment. Sat on His lap, enjoyed His creation, walked on His beach. We thank God we are able to bring Him into our day, it wasn't always like that. Years ago God wouldn't have been on our minds.























The real moment came afterwards, when one of my sons said "I thank God for the whole world". That was the moment God ordained, I guarantee that He heard that! My heart was warmed, and I felt proud of my son. I felt that sort of feeling that I think of when I read about God in Matthew 3:17 when He said "This is my Son [Jesus], whom I love, with him I am well pleased"

As childish and immature as it may seem to say, "God made an appointment with Himself, my boys, me and a sea lion today"; Jesus said "come to me as little children."

I will, no... We will.