ENan and I are equal opportunity patrons when it comes to beaches. Although we have some favorite beaches, we have never found a beach that we didn’t like. For a change of scenery, we took advantage of one of these beautiful spring days and took a little stroll down at Kure Beach.
It was low tide when we took our stroll. The water level had dropped as low as it would get, leaving tidal pools and shallow sand bars along the strand. After a half-mile or so walking, (we’ll call it one-mile due to the soft sand we were trudging through) we came upon something on the edge of the water. What we saw was approximately 10-feet long and shaped like a V. At first we thought it might be the bow of an ancient ship. Plenty of boats have ended up on the bottom of the sea around the Cape Fear region (hence the name Cape Fear.) Then we thought it might be the jawbone of a whale on some other gigantic sea creature. We were tempted to retrieve a piece of the object, but our curiosity quickly cooled when we felt the water temperature. I hope someone with some deeper knowledge and greater determination found out what it was.
The object we discovered was only visible when the tide was low. Within hours, the mystery would disappear again under he waves. I thought about the things that have recently been uncovered when the water levels have dropped in lakes and seas. Boats and cars have surfaced. Human remains have been discovered. Entire cities have been revealed because droughts have lowered the water levels so dramatically. A few good rains and it all disappears again.
The Psalmist must have had some beach experience. He wrote, “Deep calls to deep…all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” (Psalm 42:7) God knows what is beneath the surface of our lives. He knows the secrets we keep hidden from everyone else. He understands the source of our pain and our brokenness. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” (Hebrews 4:13) The good news is that He still loves us.
Down to the depths of our being, we are His beloved.
Dr. Jim Baldwin
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