One of our ministry contacts, Jalisa, took Dani, Kristen, Kyle and me to the Nicaraguan beach Tuesday. It was a perfect day—waffles and coffee, inspiring conversations and an entire day enjoying the ocean (not listed in order of importance, although the waffles were amazing, and the coffee unlimited.)
Me, Kristen and Dani
I spent a good portion of the day in the water. This was the first time I had been in the Pacific. The waves were much stronger than what I’m used to in the Gulf. I would try to body surf on the waves and end up rolling onto land like a forlorn orca. The four of us made a game of pushing each other in the waves and watching as our teammates tumble in the tide, struggling to regain balance. What fun!
Water calms me. Some of my favorite memories involve the water—Pools, snorkeling, SCUBA, boating, beach days… When I was on a swim team, most Fridays we would play water polo. I loved to play, but one thing I always enjoyed is… it’s strange, I know… but I would listen to the chaos above the water, exhale and sink to the floor of the pool and just sit and watch the muted commotion above me. The eerie sensation is similar to walking a normally busy city street and finding it deserted. It’s like seeing a violent lightening storm in the distance, yet hearing no thunder. When I get stressed, I find myself imagining I am beneath the water, only a spectator to the busyness above me.
I believe there are reflections of God in His creation. In water I find God’s mystery. Despite the orientation of history, water dominates the area of Earth. Just like the mysteries of His Spirit, there are secrets hidden in the ocean we may never discover. Water chooses to silence our voices and amplify the peripheral—the nibble of a curious minnow on one’s leg, the soda-like fizz of a rolling wave or a flounder burying itself in the sand. Water slows, magnifies and quiets everything it swallows.
In water I also see His power. His voice whispered into existence mountains; and a small, persistent river can carve through and change the form of those mountains. We can learn ways of experiencing water—boating, swimming, etc., but in the end, water is more powerful than us. Water withholds us from the most basic right to breath. Water is beautiful. Its beauty draws us to it, from the crashing waves on the shore to colorful reefs beneath. Yet the ocean demands respect. It’s why walls built to stop the rising and falling shoreline usually fail. The beach beside the wall is claimed as repayment, or the wall crumbles from the consistent ebb and flow of the tide. (The ocean does what it wants.)
Back to Tuesday: I realized why the water calms me. I recognize it’s power. I don’t resist. I start out on one side of the beach and know the tide will push me to the other side, and I accept that. Instead of standing up to the powerful waves of the Pacific, I sink beneath them, let them move me (avoiding riptides, usually.)
Thanks for the pictures, Dani!
I’ve realized that a significant source of stress in my life is caused by my urge to fight where God is trying to lead me. Instead of being swept away, I choose to stand up, only to be knocked down. Instead of letting God have control, I often try to take control myself, feeling like I have to make things happen for myself, and realizing I’m unable. I attempt to force a change in the direction of the tide, flailing my arms and kicking the other way, thinking I have influence over the gravitational forces which I struggle against. This is why my plans often fail, my walls crumble.
Unlike the mountains and the shoreline, God gives us a choice to obey His voice. I can imagine how silly I look trying to resist; forcing my plans that only make life difficult. I imagine I resemble my teammate tumbling in three feet of water, struggling to regain her composure. A theme lately: God is in control.
I wanted to thank all of my supporters for making this growing time in my life possible.
In order to stay out on the field on the World Race, I must reach financial deadlines to cover the cost of food, lodging, visa fees, supplies and transportation. I am currently about $2,000 away from the December 1st deadline. If you feel led to give, click “Support Me!” on the left panel on this page. You can also mail a check and avoid processing fees. For that option be sure to write “For Stephanie Ransom” in the memo line and make the check payable to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Thank you all so much again!
-Stephanie
