He is There

The day began yesterday with God reminding me He was there. As I launched my kayak on the intracoastal waterway, the sun was just rising, casting beacons of hope from behind dark clouds. I sang while paddling. No one was around in this early morning except the fish, and they didn't mind my voice.

I kayaked three hours, again, searching for manatee. First, I saw a dolphin, not far off my stern. Then, near the end of my three-hour cruise, I saw the back of a manatee surface and then drop back underwater. He didn't resurface so I couldn't capture a photo, but he had been close. What a thrill! As I was pulling my kayak on to shore, a Jehovah's Witness (JW) was sitting there, with a mobile display of tracts. He offered me one, but I told him that I didn't agree with JW theology. Naturally, I launched into the Biblical support for refuting the JW contention that Jesus is only a really important angel, rather than Lord. The man listened politely, and didn't argue. Then, a giant form leaped out of the water, just off shore, and made an enormous splash.

"A manatee!" I cried, "I didn't know they jumped!"
While we watched, a whole aggregation of manatee swam by. Thrill #2. I googled manatee behavior, and discovered that they do indeed jump. There was even a video of one doing so, and it looked just like what I had seen. That's also how I learned a group of manatee are called "an aggregation." Manatee are not social or herd animals, and usually travel alone or in pairs. When an aggregation is seen, it is usually a female followed by a bunch of amorous males. I bet one of the males was jumping to show off.  I know he's the one I would choose if I were Miss Manatee. What a heroic effort to heave a thousand pounds of blubber out of the water! When the aggregation had disappeared in the distance, I waved goodbye to the JW, hoping he would think about what I had said about Jesus.

Hubster and I decided to bike to lunch at a restaurant on the ocean. We thought it was only a half hour away, but it turned out to be an hour away. It was a great restaurant with a cool upstairs deck overlooking the ocean. As we settled there, watching the ocean with delight, a dolphin leaped in a professional ballet arc out of the water. As if that was not thrilling enough, he did it several times, over and over again. He was too far for me to film, but again, I felt God shining on me.

However, He didn't shine long. About five minutes after this photo was snapped, a stupendous thunderstorm roared in. We dashed to the downstairs room to wait out the storm. Fortunately, as we finished lip-smacking fresh fish, the thunderstorm gave a few feeble goodbye claps, and was gone.

We climbed back on our bikes and headed back to our condo. The storm had dropped the temperature by ten degrees. It was a glorious ride back. Now, with the stormy sky still threatening, I gathered my painting supplies, a chair, and headed back to the waterway. I haven't done a "plein air" painting in thirty years. It was a good place to rekindle that joy.

This photo above is of my studio. I could sure get used to painting in this place every day. I was definitely rusty, and am not totally satisfied with my final project, but have rarely felt so much happiness. Time passed like a waterfall, and it was dinner time!

This was a five star day. Sometimes troubles roll in as heavy and threatening as the thunderstorm today, and I am filled with despair and hopeless fright. But the more I weather those terrible times, the more I realize that at the end of the storm, God is there, just like He was there throughout the storm.

It may have been so dark and so loud that I didn't see or hear Him, but nonetheless, He was there. And when the clouds dissipate, He showers rays of delight and goodness upon me.

With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”
2 Chronicles 32:8

Matthew 8:23-27 

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Psalm 107:29 

He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Psalm 34:17-20 

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Nahum 1:7 

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.