An Elusive God

You just never know what you might find at the beach. I went exploring on my bike and ended up at South Beach Marina, which in all our years vacationing here, I had never seen. In an outdoor tree perched two macaws.  They seemed perfectly content swaying on their swing beneath the Spanish moss. I tried to engage them in conversation, but they ignored me. Fortunately, unlike the dolphin I have encountered, they were amenable to a photo opp, and sat perfectly still while I took a picture.

Speaking of photographing dolphin, or lack thereof, I went out right at low tide on my kayak. That is the time when I am most likely to see them. As I drifted past the launch site, I decided to have my camera all set to video. I carefully got it all ready, hung it in a waterproof pouch around my neck and turned it off. Now all I would have to do when I was on the trail of a dolphin was hit one button after turning it back on.

Just as I turned it off, a dolphin surfaced not 3 feet from me. I almost died of fright. Then, before I had time to react, he was right next to my boat. I think he was as surprised as me! With a plunge, he disappeared, under my boat. My camera swayed ineffectually in its waterproof pouch.

So I turned my camera on, and waited. My heart slowed to 206 beats a minute, but no dolphin reemerged. I decided to leave my camera on and continued up Broad Creek, the inlet where I always kayak. After a half hour of no dolphin sightings, I turned off my camera. Just as I was turning it off, a dolphin surfaced, again only 3 or 4 feet in front of me, heading my way.
"Hey, I'm here!" I warned him. He dived and by the time I got my camera on, he was nowhere to be seen.

So, stupido, I told myself, if you want to see a dolphin and have him stick around, you can't be such a chicken.

I tried to send out welcoming vibes to any of the dolphins out there, but alas, no more came near. One swam about 50 yards away, keeping pace with my kayak, but when I stopped paddling (again reaching to turn on my camera), he disappeared.

There is no doubt about it. The dolphins seem to be purposefully elusive. Or perhaps it is just their nature. I have similar thoughts about God. I mean, really, wouldn't it end a whole lot of strife and angst if God just showed Himself to everyone, did  a few unmistakable miracles, and then posed for some authentic photographs? Why is He so elusive?

Well, lots of folks have written whole books on the subject so I won't even attempt to answer that question. I have determined that most "why" questions concerning God are a waste of time. God does things His way for a reason but rarely clues us in. Still, from my albeit limited and unscholarly perspective, I have noticed a few things that may explain the positive ramifications of an elusive God.

1. That which we can't easily grasp becomes instantly more valuable. We all know this to be true. We all cherish most that which we had to work hardest to secure.
2. We seek more ardently that which we only catch rare glimpses of. Case in point: I spend two hours every morning in my kayak scanning the deep blue sea for the most transitory moments, seconds really, of a dolphin's back. I am in near ecstasy if I get to see his tail.
3. There is comfort in knowing something is always there, even when we can't see Him. If He was always in sight, when we lost sight of Him, we would feel bereft. Brief glimpses give us hope, and reminds us He is always lurking near, especially when He appears at the most unlikely times.
4. We take for granted that which is always before us. No matter how spectacular the scenery of a new place, after a few days, I have grown used to it. It stops registering as "spectacular." On the other hand, brief visits to beautiful places tend to leave me awestruck. God knows our limited capacity for ongoing reverence. I am assuming this failing of ours is transformed in Heaven...or really, Heaven will be wasted on us.

This is just a short list off the top of my head. Whatever the "why" may be, God is largely hidden from us. But interestingly, we are not hidden from God. Far from it. Here is a small portion of verses that remind us that God sees us, even when we don't see Him:


Psalm 38:9

All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

Psalm 69:5

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.

Psalm 139:15

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

So, I guess we need to be satisfied that we won't likely see God face to face, till perhaps we get to Heaven, but He definitely sees us.  AND we know He is there, like the dolphin, just under the boat.

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1 John 4:12

Verse Concepts

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Seeing-God#sthash.vQ15ZeXb.dpuf

1 John 4:12

Verse Concepts

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Seeing-God#sthash.vQ15ZeXb.dpuf

1 John 4:12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:12

Verse Concepts

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Seeing-God#sthash.vQ15ZeXb.dpuf

1 John 4:12

Verse Concepts

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Seeing-God#sthash.vQ15ZeXb.dpuf