Not Alone (poem)

Note: The poem I mentioned in my previous post inspired me to try my hand at writing a poem that describes experiences I've had on beautiful beaches, especially those on the Gulf of Mexico. Please feel free to comment.

Not Alone

 My feet made prints in the wet sand
As I strolled near the ocean's foam.
I marveled at all God had made 
On that island far from my home.

The shorebirds fascinated me,
As did pelicans plunging down
To fill their large, empty pouches
With fish swimming in their playground.

As the breeze restyled my grey hair,
And the sun's rays reddened my face,
I continued on, praising God
For His handiwork in that place.

Sea oats swayed in the gentle breeze, 
And puffy white clouds drifted by.
Seagulls swooped and strutted and shrieked,
While some swimmers toweled themselves dry.

Concerns and fears I’d brought with me
Vanished quicker than morning dew,
As I pondered this awesome truth:
God made me and sustains me, too!

I saw no footprints beside mine,
Yet, I sensed I was not alone.
Awed by His presence near to me,
I praised Him as we journeyed on.
 --Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill, (c) 2021
 
[Jesus said to His disciples:]
"I am with you always,
even to the end of the age."
--Matthew 28:20, NLT
 

Photo courtesy of Upsplash

Sensing His Presence

As I read Patience Allison Hartbauer’s poem entitled Footprints, which I recently found in a pocket-sized booklet I’d had for years, I recalled many experiences similar to the one she describes.

I, too, have walked along the beach and marveled at all the things God has created. I, too, have felt a renewed sense of peace and hope. I, too, have worshipped God as I walked on sandy shores. I, too, have concluded that, although I did not see His footprints in the sand, I knew He was walking with me. 

(c)2017, Sanibel Island, Florida

I pray you have had a similar experience. You may have sensed God with you at places other than the beach. The place we experience Him could be anywhere. According to the Bible, Paul and Silas felt His presence while in a prison cell. David knew God was with him even while David was hiding out in a cave. Moses experienced God out in the desert. I’ve felt His presence in a hospital room. On a mountaintop. In the grocery store... 

He is everywhere! How extra blessed we are when we sense Him--wherever we are. 

Come and Worship!

Sunset at Gulf Shores, Alabama

Storms

Christ does not always immediately 

calm the storms, but He is always willing to calm His child on the basis of His presence. We'll probably never learn to enjoy our storms, but we can learn to enjoy God's presence in the storm!

~Beth Moore

See also Luke 8:22-25.

A Father's Joy

Wonder and Worship

I photographed this sunrise from the balcony on another day.

 I woke up when it was still dark but decided to stay in bed for a few minutes longer and listen to BBN Radio via an app on my phone. As I gazed out the large, uncovered windows, I marveled at the beautiful changes in the sky as a new day dawned.

While watching the dramatic changes, I focused on these words to a song that was playing on BBN Radio: “I will glorify the King of Kings. I will glorify the Lamb.” I lifted my hands in praise and worshipped Him.

Prayers of Praise

One day I heard Elisabeth Elliot quote a few words found in the Te Deum (tuh-DEE-um). Being unfamiliar with the Te Deum, I searched the Internet for information about it. I learned that it is an early Christian hymn of praise, possibly written by Saint Augustine or Saint Ambrose in AD 397. The words Elisabeth quoted are translated this way in the Book of Common Prayer:

Sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico--Gulf Shores, Alabama

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy glory.

I plan to memorize those words so that I can readily (and often!) offer them as a prayer of praise to God.  I also plan to read regularly Psalm 104, which is a beautiful hymn of praise. Would you like to do that too? 

Go Deeper!

When we go to the beach, my husband ventures out a good way into the surf to pick up seashells. As a result, he finds many more unique shells than I do since I can only pick up those that have washed ashore. After we've rinsed our shells and spread them out to dry, anyone who views his collection and mine notices the difference in the variety and condition of the shells. Most of mine are common and often look weathered. But his...oh, my! They are richly colored, unusual, unmarred...

His collection should be better than mine. After all, he waded out into waist-deep water and struggled to maintain his balance while being walloped by the waves, something many shell seekers are unwilling or physically unable to do. Because of vertigo issues, all I could do was stroll on the beach and use a scooper to pick up the shells I wanted to keep.

I thought about that the day I began reading Deron Spoo’s book entitled The Good Book, 40 Chapters That Reveal the Bible’s Biggest Ideas. He encourages everyone, even experienced Bible readers, to reject the tendency to be satisfied with their current level of understanding of the Bible. “Don’t just settle for wading in the surf. Dive deeper! Untold riches await your discovery...each time we read the Scriptures, our understanding is expanded and our love for God is deepened” (Location 273). He’s absolutely right! 

Even though I can't wade into deeper water due to being unable to keep my balance when the sand shifts beneath my feet or when the water surges against my ankles, I'm not restricted from going deeper into God's Word. Whenever I open my Bible, I don't have to be content to play, like a child, at the water's edge. I can--and I do--go deeper, deeper, deeper into the scriptures where I discover incredible insights free for the taking.

Run Toward or Away?

While walking on the beach, I noticed a bird’s odd behavior. Since it was only a few feet from shore, I paused to watch the waves "wipe it out" time and time again while it (apparently!) feasted on whatever delicacies were in the water.

For several minutes, I watched as the waves crashed against him, changing his direction each time. Yet, when one wiped him out, he'd swim toward the next one, rather than from it. 

I'd never witnessed that kind of behavior before. The shorebirds I'd observed on previous walks would pace slowly in shallow water while keeping a keen eye out to see what the waves brought to them, like the one in this photo. When those birds saw a big wave approaching, they'd run toward the shore, not toward the wave. As soon as the wave retreated, they’d rush to the shallow water to resume their search for the food.


But this bird repeatedly SOUGHT OUT the challenges, apparently considering the reward (feasting) worth whatever physical discomfort the waves inflicted on him.

I learned an important lesson from that bird! Like him, I need to "go for" the challenges I face--rather than run from them. If I run away from opportunities for growth, I'll miss out on much of the abundance God intends for me. 

Dear Reader, will you join me (and the bird!) in "going for the good stuff?"

Waiting

From time to time, I try my hand at writing haiku, a kind of poetry that originated in Japan centuries ago. Although my poems may not be as good as those written by young children, I do enjoy the challenge of telling a story in only three lines of a poem, each of which has a set number of syllables: five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third.

Recently, as I was choosing "keeper" photos from the hundreds I'd taken on a trip to the beach several months prior, I came across one I'd taken while standing on a 14th floor balcony just after sunrise. I decided to use that photo as inspiration for the poem.

hungry herons stare 

fishermen keep watch on lines 

waiting for breakfast 

While thinking about how the herons and the fisherman waited at water's edge for food, I remembered these words David used at the beginning of Psalm 63:

O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You... 

(verse 1, NKJV)

I will make that same statement of faith, that same promise. I will rise early and wait patiently...expectantly...for the blessings my God provides. As I wait, I will praise Him and thank Him.

Not Dead--Again!

A column in our local newspaper was entitled “I woke up not dead again in [name of town].” Intrigued by that title, I read what else the columnist had to say. 

He said he had awakened at 6 a.m. (without his alarm having sounded) and checked his big toe to see if it had a tag attached to it. It didn’t.

Having concluded he wasn't dead, he proceeded to enjoy a day filled with blessings, such as: a delicious cup of coffee, a favorite breakfast, a free concert by backyard birds, a morning walk, a beautiful sunrise, a humorous e-mail from a dear friend, e-mails from his children, an inspirational sermon at church, a delicious brunch at a local restaurant, and a round of golf in the afternoon.

“Even though I know that none of us will get out of here alive,” he said, “…I rejoice whenever I wake up not dead.”

Dear Reader, let's join him in being grateful for every morning we wake up not dead again. Let's also join him in thanking our Father for all the other blessings He lavishes upon us.

Morning by morning, 

God wakes me up 

and

opens my understanding to His will

Isaiah 50:4

Dawnings

When I’m at the beach, I almost always go outside to watch the sunrises and sunsets even if no family member goes with me. I just grab my camera and go alone to the beach.  I love seeing the rays of light punch holes in the dark sky. I love the beautiful colors that begin to spread across the sky. I love the first glimpse of the sun when it seems to rise out of the murky waters. I love the gentle sea breezes and the shrieking of the shorebirds as they search for and find their first food of the day. I even like the noises made by boats as they head out to deeper waters. There’s just something extra special about the dawning of a new day—and/or a new year! Each one is full of promise, full of unknowns.

Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879) apparently appreciated the dawns, just as I do.  In one of her songs, Another Day Is Dawning, she mentions specific opportunities she anticipates in the new day, among them: making progress, praising God, serving others, witnessing to God’s love…Several times, she mentions her longing to spend another day with Him. If by that she means she wants to be aware of God’s presence with her and to enjoy Him, to feel His great love, to talk with Him throughout the day… then I feel a kinship with her because THAT is what I want, too! 

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

Ecclesiastes 11:7, New Living Translation

Quiet and Peaceful--Without and Within

I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.

~Helen Keller

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...make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business...

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Welcome Jesus Into Your Boat!

O, God, Thy sea is so great,

and my boat is so small.

~unknown

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Then His disciples were eager 

to let Jesus into their storm-tossed boat, 

and immediately 

they arrived at their destination.

John 6:21

Memories

Our memories of the ocean will linger on,

long after our footprints in the sand are gone.

~Anonymous

After reading the above quote, I felt led to add these words:

Likewise, our memories of loved ones linger on,

long, long after they from this life have gone.

Then, I recalled these words, found in Proverbs 10:7:

The memory of the righteous is a blessing....

Those words reminded me of a song I've loved for years:

Precious mem'ries, how they linger,

How they ever flood my soul.

In the stillness of the midnight,

Sacred scenes unfold.

J. B. F. Wright, 1925

Sail On! Sail On!

I know many people, as do you, Dear Reader, who are coping with pain and deteriorating health and loss and financial difficulties and…the list goes on and on. I thought of them and their struggles (and my own, as well) this morning when I read an uplifting poem by J. R. Miller. I found it in the Feb. 11^th devotional in Streams in the Desert.

The poet wrote about an imaginary conversation between Christopher Columbus (the Admiral) and his Mate as they and the rest of the crew sailed to the New World. Before them was “only shoreless seas.” When the Mate felt they should pray, since the very stars they needed for navigation were gone on that dark night, he asked the Admiral what he should say.

The Admiral replied, “Why, say, ‘Sail on! Sail on! And on!’”

When the Mate said his men were growing more mutinous every day and that they were ghastly pale and weak, he asked again what he should say, if, the next morning, all they could see was sea.

The Admiral’s answer was the same: “‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”

When the Mate described the sea as having “lifted teeth, as if to bite,” he begged the Admiral to tell him what to do, since hope was gone.

His answer: “’Sail on! sail on! and on!’”

As you know, Dear Reader, the Admiral and his crew eventually reached land and gave the world “its grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”

May this lesson encourage us to sail on. Surely, surely, smoother seas and welcoming shores are just ahead!

"...we are always of good courage...

for we walk [live--and sail on!] by faith, 

not by sight."

~Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6-7, ESV

I took this photo in San Francisco in 2005. Little did I know then that God would want me to use it on this blog, which I had not even imagined or created at that time. Thankfully, God enabled me to EASILY find this photo though it is among thousands and thousands stored on various hard drives. Praise Him!!!!!

Dawning of a New Day

Therefore I live for today—

Certain of finding at sunrise

Guidance and strength for the way.

Power for each moment of weakness,

Hope for each moment of pain,

Comfort for every sorrow,

Sunshine and joy after rain!

~Anonymous

Undiscovered

To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, 

while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.

    ~Isaac Newton