Alaska is more than a state; better to call it a region or country. We have been cruising the western shore of the state from Vancouver to Valdez and the scenery is amazing. Water, mountains covered with pine/fir trees, waterfalls, fog, and rain – every day. Bald eagles and some orca sightings were the extent of our animal sightings. We are surrounded by and floating in the edge of the Pacific. As we near the end of this adventure I reflect upon how different the trip is from what we expected. We assumed we would see a ton of wild life but mostly we have seen water, snow peaked mountains covered with trees, glaciers, fog, and rain. The first day was our inner passage sail where we hoped to see whales and orcas but saw only rain and fog.
At first, I was disappointed as it has been different than we expected. More water than wildlife and more fog and water than sun. But it has become a blessing in different ways. This trip was long planned and the timing was wonderful as Roxanne and I have had a couple years filled with more tension and drama than we expected. For months my evening prayers have included conversations with God about how much I needed his gift of peace. And I have felt closer to God the more I let him in and quit trying to control what I cannot. I have mentioned before that my new favorite help is the line from Psalm 23 about green pastures and still waters — the promise of peace that is the gift of a shepherd in a world surrounded by a lack of peace. In fact, when I find myself getting wound up, I simply repeat the phrase “green pastures and still waters” almost like a mantra or brief prayer. And it has helped me feel what God has always been offering in my life (but I often forget.)
This trip has not been what we envisioned but has become so much more. In the fog, nearness to glacial ice, and soaring eagles our attention has been pulled to what is outside and around us. The green pastures are in fact tremendous hillsides of green trees, for hundreds and hundreds of miles. The still water is felt in the passage of our ship and visible in the waves, fog, and rain. We are surrounded by water, which as Genesis reminds us is the beginning of all creation. And knowing who is behind such a miracle is a strong visual reminder of God’s presence all around us. We have had so much quiet and are experiencing a simple beauty that is difficult to describe other than its peacefulness instead our normal loud and distracting world. This trip has become a time of calm which we both needed but couldn’t have achieved on our own. The gift of creation is so powerfully present and I am feeling more peace than when the journey began.
I know that for all of us life can be like that more often than we imagine, when we take time to let God speak and reveal his presence rather than expecting God to do what we want or expect. Green pastures and still waters! That gift if always waiting in each of our lives, no matter where we live or what makes us tremble and stress out. Our Good Shepherd has promised to lead us to that calm, safe place where we can finally relax and feel peace. I didn’t need to sail to Alaska to feel that, but God broke through my expectations to share what I needed most. And the journey I hoped for became the journey God gifts us with. No matter what, his promise of green pastures and still waters is a promise that God always keeps. Let go of what you want and allow God to fill you with what you need!