It was late May 2013, my body ached from soreness and tiredness. My eyelids were heavy from sleep deprivation. My younger sister and I were on the last leg of a marathon trip through Europe. We had visited three countries in two weeks and were spending the last 4 days in an obscure Spanish beach city. We had arrived to Valencia earlier that morning by plane, then headed to a local bus station to board our bus for a 3 hour journey down the Spanish Coast. By the time we were on the bus, I was completely exhausted and entirely tired. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and drift into a much needed nap. Before falling asleep, I set my alarm to awaken me in two hours so that we wouldn’t miss our stop.
Little did I know that my phone was set to silent, and I would not hear the usual melody of the iPhone alarm.
I believe in the sovereignty of God in all things, so in addition to setting my alarm I said a quick prayer to God asking him to make sure we didn’t miss our stop. Then, I drifted into a deep, deep sleep. I’m not sure how long I slept before waking up, but when I looked down, my phone alarm was silently going off. And we were quickly approaching our bus stop. Awakened, I was suddenly super vigilant of our surroundings. At that very moment, I looked out the bus window, and there it was. A hand wrapped gift from God. I tried to pull out my phone to snap a pic, but I wasn’t quick enough. It was only a momentary glimpse. It was gone in a split second. Had I slept for a minute longer, I would have missed it. But God was gracious enough to allow me to see the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.
As we were driving down the Spanish coast, there was a spot where the cliffs and mountains met the ocean in perfect harmony. The blue hue of the water looked unreal contrast against the rocky cliffs. The sky and the ocean blended into the infinite horizon. The scene was perfection and reminded me of the beauty of God and His beautiful creation. Like an artist painting a masterpiece on his canvas, God handcrafted this earth and everything in it. The Bible says: “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” -Psalm 24:1-2.
If He takes that much care to create the ocean and mountains, then how much more care does He have for us, created in His image? Seeing scenes like that I feel very grateful to be part of His creation because He is a splendid artist and the earth and His people are His masterpieces.
God is beautiful, and so are His people. All of them.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty– and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:5
10,000 Miles to Love 