I Almost Touched a Whale
Sue Tell, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly, than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
Tucked safely in my pocket, my questions traveled with me for years.
What is worship?
How do I worship?
What does it mean to worship?
And my more recent question, what does living with expectancy mean?
I'm pretty sure I don't have complete answers yet. I’m on a journey.
And I'm also pretty sure that in Alaska, I almost touched a whale, a worship whale! Those eight words describe the awe, the wonder, the expectancy I experienced in Alaska. Fin whales are the second largest aquatic marine mammal. These behemoth animals weigh as much as ten large elephants and consume up to 4000 pounds of food daily. They have two blow holes on the top of their head and when they break the surface of the water to let out the breath they have been holding, their water spout or blow can reach 30 feet into the air.*
Our morning writing class had concluded. We circled our professors asking question after question of these two seasoned authors and phenomenal teachers.
As we talked, suddenly our attention diverted to Uyak Bay beyond the windows. Fin whales with their tell-tale blows coming every few seconds put on a show for us.
A plan was quickly set in motion: eat lunch; grab our knee boots and life jackets; and get to the barge. Leslie piloted allowing those onboard to experience a very close encounter with these mammoth animals.
I pinched myself. Sue, pay attention; stay in the moment; live with expectancy. This is real. This is amazing. These God-created creatures are swimming in the habitat God designed for them. This is not Sea World. This is worship.
"But though the dory rocked back and forth with the swell of them, the whales never came so close that the boat might capsize. Turner heard them ripping the surface all around him, and felt the diamond spray sprinkle down on him in the moonlight like a benediction. He knew he was in the middle of something much larger than himself, and not just larger in size." (from Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, Gary Schmidt. Emphasis mine) My thoughts exactly!
"Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!" Psalm 96:7-9
Sue, be amazed by God's creation.
Be awed.
Live with expectancy.
Be invited to worship.
Bring an offering. Ascribe to the Lord the splendor of his creation this time lived out in whales.
These ginormous fin whales taught me about worship.
These ginormous fin whales are helping answer my question.
As I look back over the years, many pieces have fallen into my pocket offering an understanding of worship and more recently, of expectancy. The top three are ...
1. Training myself to start my (almost) daily devotional time by sitting quietly and be captivated by and in wonder of God's phenomenal, diverse, beautiful creation.
2. I am so thankful for our worship pastors at our church, Village Seven Presbyterian. Every Sunday service is designed to flow seamlessly from the prelude to the postlude, from participating with our voices to participating in listening. I'm learning to live with expectancy and I’m experiencing worship.
3. My week in Alaska on Harvester Island was like almost touching a [worship] whale. I opened huge unexpected gifts of the island every day, with every experience.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Eagle flying close, or the sea otter floating cradling their young to the huge seals, sea lions, orcas and fin whales; from starfish to jellyfish to sand dollars, each unique, each amazing; from the new friends who became family to sharing amazing meals with those friends; from words drawing tears to words almost dropping me to floor in laughter; from trust built through vulnerability; from the calm waters to the white caps; from the beauty of orange and yellow sunrises to the orange and yellow sunsets; from the experience of the skiff to the barge; the Beaver float plane to the Cessna bush plane. The memories – whale-sized. Metaphorically I almost touched that whale and God is teaching me to live with expectancy and to experience worship.
Friends, what are the experiences God is using to teach you to worship?
PRAYER
Father, help us to be attentive to You and Your creation. Help us live with expectancy, the expectancy of knowing You. Father, please continue to teach us worship. Amen.
*cimioutdoored.org
Copyright: Sue Tell, March 2022 originally published on Echoes of Grace 10/7/21
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Tell is the wife of William Tell, a great name if you want people to remember you. Mother of two married sons (one a PCA pastor), two delightful daughter-in-laws, and Mana (gramma) to six special gifts to our family, ages 2-16. Sue is a member of Village 7 Presbyterian where she enjoys the ministry of mentoring. Her ministry loves: writing, mentoring, and speaking, and she is the author of Echoes of Grace, written to invite readers to better understand life through the lens of God’s grace, suetell.com. Sue loves traveling - especially to warm places - with my husband. At home, walks with Molly (our Golden Retriever).
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Saturday, 11 November 2023.
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