Typically I have a preference for long sandy beaches… Nothing but sky from end to end. Sun, waves, and golden sand. It is my happy place. People ask if you are a beach person or a mountain person. I naively and wholeheartedly said beach… No question.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized the magnificence of the combination. You can be a beach person AND a mountain person. There are beautiful places where they meet and mingle. Did anyone ever tell you that?
I visited the coast and was treated to quite a view. Sandy rocky beaches, overlooked by steep cliffs, scattered with hidden coves. It was fabulous. It came with a bonus of large rock formations scattering the skyline. Huge imposing rock mountains sitting contentedly in the middle of the ocean. Like they belong there. Which I guess they do. Who am I to say what belongs where?
What really stood out to me was the way they captured attention. Surrounded by a vast sky and ocean, and yet my eyes were drawn to the stories tall boulders taking up residence in the water.
Christ is often referred to as our Rock, a description that was lost on me until now. I understood in theory, but now I have a different picture in mind.
Christ is a rock. Not a pebble on the ground. Not a shard of mountain laying haphazardly nearby. Not even a slab of concrete, smooth and even.
No, Christ is a rock. Immovable. Majestic. Timeless.
He is our firm foundation. He is our stronghold.
He is a safe place when the winds and the waves won’t let up.
Psalms 71 says “Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may continually come.”
A rock of refuge. A safe place.
Walking along a path we saw a sign pertaining to the large rock formations. It detailed many reasons why the rocks were important to the nature system of the area. The rocks were a safe place for many birds and animals. It specifically prohibited outsiders to climb the rocks. As beautiful and enticing as they might be, outsiders would cause great harm to the fragile wild life. The rock protected them and gave them a place to thrive. A place to live and grow without fear of the outside dangers.
That is what Christ is to us. Our refuge. Our safe place. A place to thrive. Protection from the wind and waves that bombard us every day.
The rocks are a constant of the harbor. Centuries old. The tide comes and goes. Driftwood and debris wash in and out. Even the birds and animals that find safety in the clefts of the rock have a limited time here.
But the Rocks are consistent. Never will you drive up to the harbor and find the rocks absent for the day.
On the day of our arrival it was overcast… typical west coast weather. I was standing out on the balcony admiring the trees and the view, when someone called out to me, “Do you see the rocks?”
What rocks? I looked around for anything noteworthy and came up empty.
“The rocks! You can’t miss them.”
But miss them I did. Were the rocks there? Oh they were, big and proud, in all their glory.
But what was also present that day was a layer of mist and haze that obscured my view.
They were there, but I couldn’t see them. I missed them in the fog.
Isn’t that an illustration for ya?!
That whole trip was a fight against the fog. The fog of my brain. The fog of my expectations and selfish ambitions. The fog of my distraction from my Maker.
He was there, steady and strong. He never leaves.
But I let the worries of this world obscure Him. I let myself be distracted from the Almighty.
To be honest my brain still feels foggy. I wish I could tell you how to clear the haze.
But just keep looking. The wind blows in and out, and you will get glimpses. He never leaves. Keep your eyes on the rock. Trust He is there. Set your eyes towards the Savior. Quiet your heart and still your hands. The cloud will clear.
Because the Rock so magnificent doesn’t stay hidden for long.
The wind and clouds move here and there, but the Rock never moves.
