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Thursday was my last official day of ministry here in
Jeffrey’s Bay! I can’t believe this part of the trip is pretty much finished.
Monday we leave for debrief in St. Francis Bay, a nearby town. Then we have two
weeks off for Christmas before I head to Port Elizabeth!
It was a bittersweet goodbye at Virginia’s crèche, since it
is unlikely we will see them again. We had really begun to feel part of
Virginia’s family, and of course we all fell in love with the kids. Tuesday we
were able to bring the kids some Christmas presents. We brought a small bike,
some tiny, bright green chairs, balls, books, toy cars, and some dress-up shoes
(the girls always tried on our shoes when we were there!). So it was fun watching them play with their
new toys.
Thursday night we had our last time of corporate worship as
a group. We drove to a spot that looks out over the ocean with beach access. We
had a fire and made s’mores, hung out on the beach, and sang and prayed
together. It would have been a great night no matter where we were, but God
went above and beyond that night. Picture this:
It was an incredibly clear night, about 70 degrees. A light
breeze wafted over the tops of the palm trees. There were no lights around, but
the moon was shining brighter than I’ve ever seen. It was positioned above the
distant mountain range, casting its perfect glow on the ocean. Several clouds
floated lazily above the water, and the sound of the waves hitting the rocks
was consistent and comforting. And if you watched closely enough, every once in
a while the waves would light up a beautiful neon green right before it crashed
onto itself. I’m talking bright neon here! I’ve never seen anything like it.
I think we were all amazed at the beauty God’s creation.
What a gift! But it gets better….
The next morning, I went with my friends Dee Dee and
Caroline to watch the sunrise. We drove out to a favorite look-out and surfing
spot called Super Tubes at 4:30 am. As soon as we sat down on the bench looking
out over the water, a pod of around 15 dolphins swam gracefully by. They were
right in front of us! I love dolphins! We watched them for a little while, and
then decided to walk down and sit on the sand. Again, the sky was so clear, and
the weather was perfect. The few clouds in the sky were shimmering with a
beautiful pink and orange light as they waited for the sun to make its
appearance. It reminded me of bridesmaids in a wedding, as if they were saying
“yes we are pretty, but just wait for the bride.” We layed our beach towel on
the cool sand and waited patiently for the sun. At about 5:02 it peeked out
above the horizon. In 6 or 7 minutes we watched this beautiful, big, bright
ball light up the entire sky as it made its entry into the world. I wanted to
keep watching, but it was so bright, and my eyes were still tired (it was 5
am). So the three of us closed our eyes and laid back in the sand, basking in
the warmth and light of the risen sun, listening to that familiar sound of the
waves crashing on the rocks.
The Psalmist had it right in Psalm 148:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord
from the heavens: praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise
him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining
stars! Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens…Let
them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is
above earth and heaven.
One more quote to get you thinking:
“…What temple shall I build him
when the whole world, the work of his hands, cannot contain him? Should we not
rather make a sanctuary for him in our souls? The whole heaven and the whole
earth and all things beyond the confines of the world are filled with God…I
would almost say: we live with him.”
-Minucius Felix
