"The LORD remembered her..."

Please enjoy this slideshow with a few of my videos from the incredible whale watch excursion at Icy Strait Point!

Yes, I used MJ's song from Free Willy... and yes, I played that (along with several other songs) during the actual experience. lol  Love it!!

We were parked out there for over an hour, and they put a hydrophone into the water to amplify the whale sounds - it really was a rare, awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience all around for most everyone on board to see and hear these massive, powerful whales so close to us in the immense wild ocean - some of them swimming up a little too close for comfort. lol

And there was a sacred layer on top of that for me - an answer to prayer and an undeniably holy and meaningful moment with God that I want to be careful to honor as time moves forward.  I don't want to trivialize or cheapen it by over-sharing or making it all about the PhD, the whales, the rainbow, or anything entirely tangible on that day.  It was about knowing with a renewed faith that God sees my heart and cares enough to be invested in my future, that He will go to great lengths to "make known to me the path of life," that I can trust Him deeply and trust this next step even after a lot of seeming failure, career confusion, and loss.

...After seeing the orcas, I thought quietly to myself "the only thing that might've made that better is if there were seven of them."  (I was incredibly grateful and reeling with the meaning of it all, but I'm a numbers girl, and that fleeting thought crossed my mind after we saw five of them.)  While resting in my room two days later, lazily looking out the balcony window, I unmistakably saw two orcas jumping in the distant north Pacific Ocean!  It was awesome, and once again, it felt personal - like divinely-ordained timing.  *Again, not about the whales themselves, but about God knowing my heart and caring enough to come through in big and small ways -- He is kind and playful, and He is powerful and personally invested, and I needed those reminders on this trip!  (I'm writing about this because I cannot verbalize it well yet, and most people aren't interested in this level of detail anyway.)

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John Eldredge writes about how God shows up through creation in ways that are both epic and intimate.  I felt both of those on this trip.  The ocean views were vast and powerful, a bit overwhelming, but calming and centering at the same time.  I thought several times about the disciples saying, "Even the winds and waves obey Him."  The mountains and glaciers were breathtaking, and waterfalls are among my favorite things in all of God's creation.  Seeing the otters, sea lions, eagles, orcas, and humpback whales in their natural environments was amazing.  Then there was the intimacy in the colorful detail and stunning variety of the gardens on my first and last shore excursion - I adore yellow roses, and this is one of my favorite pictures (taken after nightfall in Butchart Gardens) - the level of precision and layered detail in a single flower speaks something very comforting to me about God's heart and how He values small things and makes them uniquely beautiful. ❤

A verse that rings true and feels extra-significant to me right now:

In spite of the lovely photos, my first two days on the ship were a bit rough and lonely - day two was a full day "at sea" with no planned excursions... I knew no one but Sarah and didn't have her number yet - I didn't understand where to go for dinner, so I was on my own for every meal...  no social media apps and no reception to make phone calls mid-ocean... I felt tired and more isolated than I had expected... and I was a bit disappointed to learn that Beth was teaching on Leviticus (historically one of my least favorite books - but obviously, God led her there for good reason).  I grabbed my blanket and sat on my balcony and journaled and prayed - I reluctantly forced myself to turn off the movie and tune into Scripture - praying with some level of desperation through the discouragement for real connection with God and with others on the ship, for clarity about what is next for me, that the week on the ship would not be wasted, that my life on earth would not be wasted - for a story with a greater Kingdom impact.  ...And God heard me and took notice.

Looking back tonight, it feels really encouraging to see the first thing I wrote down from our first session on 7-25-26.  Ironically, I had forgotten about this...

My paraphrase from Beth's first teaching on Leviticus:  

When Scripture says "the LORD remembered" someone, it may be a distressing thought to us that He would ever have forgotten them in the first place... but that's not what it means in the Hebrew context.  When we see "the LORD remembered," it means the LORD responded or acted on their behalf.  God always hears us, so this is not God recalling someone He forgot or lost sight of; this is Him being moved to respond with "decisive, compassionate action" to fulfill His promises.

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It often meant physical pregnancy when God "remembered" women in the Bible (Hannah, Sarah, etc.).  At the heart level, it was God opening doors and answering their prayers, bringing more hope for their future, new life, and a renewed sense of purpose and legacy for these women He loved.  God is strengthening my faith to see what that pattern might look like in the context of my own story and walk with Him.  

"...Anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."  ~Hebrews 11:6

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The details are clear in my heart,
and I believe with humility, gratitude, and confident faith

that God "remembered me" this week.

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A quiet and compelling start to a long story with a profound and multifaceted ending - and God is faithful to complete what He begins.  I cannot waste the profound grace of God or let it be in vain.  I believe His promise that we will find Him when we seek Him wholeheartedly, and I am determined to press into that more deeply from this day forward.  That means repeatedly choosing courage over comfort, trusting God enough to allow Him to cut away any entangling sins, harmful soul ties, and/or worldly comforts that would hold me back.  1000 times easier to say than to live out.  I do not want to get complacent and settle in the metaphorical wilderness; I want to push through the fierce opposition and take possession of God's promised reward for those who earnestly seek Him.  The race marked out for me feels a bit clearer, but the journey of intense spiritual formation and the work of Christlike leadership feels daunting.  It's as if I have a compass rather than a clear map of everything that lies ahead, so union with Jesus is vital!  I'm reminding myself that I am not in this alone, and God will guide and strengthen me as I continue to seek Him and abide in Christ.

*I didn't know this until yesterday, but this week is "desk week" at the OCC - one of three weeks each year that is set aside with no court hearings so that we can catch up on transcripts (and sleep). ;-)  Another well-timed gift, seriously!

On that note,  I took this screenshot as I absorbed this song on our way back from the whale watch excursion:
"You are the light and rest for my soul.
You're God, and I will be still and know."

Song of the Week = Be Still and Know by CeCe Winans

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