I wrote this blog “Ocean’s Allure” four years ago, and after sitting through my church’s morning service today; it came to the forefront of my mind. I figured it was time for a “reblog” now that I have a few followers, and have managed to learn how to “tag.” Our spiritual formation pastor, Laura, was speaking on the sermon topic we started a week ago that will run through the end of this month (May 2014). (southbrook.org if you want to take a listen or read) The topic today was “Where is God?” It addressed all the different ways that people try to come up with why there is so much suffering in the world, and how most of the time, what we choose to believe about it works…until it doesn’t anymore…until the bottom drops out and we fall apart. We drop into the bottom of the well, feeling as far apart from God as ever, questioning everything. Sometimes, we stay in that well for a long time. Sometimes, people don’t come out of it. However, other times, the well leads into an ocean, and we recognize that God has been carrying us on the waves the whole time. We feel peace after going through pain, and we see God as the ocean. He is as close as smelling the sea and feeling the salt on your face, but far away like that of which stretches beyond the horizon. He is big and small, all at the same time. We understand for a moment that there is so much more. I hope you’ll enjoy my post from years past. I like the parallels it draws for me…maybe you will too.