On a recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii, we were enjoying one of the beautiful beaches, when we saw, in the distance, an area of sand roped off with orange cones and bright nylon string. The approximately 20' x 20' space began at the water's edge and came onto the beach in front. When we got closer, it became apparent why this prime piece of sunning real estate had been fenced off. Right in the middle of the space was an adult female Monk Seal, about 8 feet long, sleeping soundly, the opening and closing of her sandy nostrils the only sign of life! Lifeguards and park rangers keep careful watch of the beaches in Hawaii and take very seriously the protection of the wildlife that use the shorelines for nesting and resting! Monk Seals will sometimes occupy the same spot on a beach for days, moving only occasionally to shift position, or sun a different side! The animals are roped off to keep curious spectators at a safe distance for both seal and human! Though generally docile, Monk seals can and do bite when they feel threatened.
As I was observing this marvelous creature, a woman sitting behind me in a beach chair began to talk to me. Apparently, she had been occupying the exact spot in which the seal was lying only moments before. She complained to me in a very loud and angry manner how she had literally been run off the spot by the seal! "I had just gotten my chair, my towel, my cooler and all my stuff situated in that exact spot when that @#$% seal came out of the water and ran me off! It nearly bit me! And that's the best spot on the beach! Can you believe it?" she griped!
I tried to be sympathetic, but found her irritation rather amusing and, frankly, perplexing! I said with a smile, "Well, I don't know about you, but the way I see it, this is her beach, not mine! And she's a LOT bigger than I am, so as far as I'm concerned, she can have any spot she wants!" The tourist shrugged and went back to her chair. It reminded me of the old joke, "Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit on an airplane?" Answer: "Anywere it wants to!"
Can you guess the analogy I'm going to make here? Don't we sometimes react to God the same way this woman reacted to the seal? Things are going along according to our plans, and then when God changes our course, or "moves" us in any way we had not intended, we get angry, or at the very least, deeply disappointed! We question God's motives. We question God's power. We question God's wisdom! We even question His love for us! We somehow forget whose "beach" we're on! We forget whose really in charge and whose kingdom we're supposed to be working for! Instead of joyfully and willingly giving up our plans, desires, and wants for what God has planned for us, we gripe and moan and miss out on the thrill of going in faith where God directs for His glory!
The woman at the beach was unable to appreciate the magnificent animal in front of her, and the privilege she had to be able to move graciously aside to make room for this amazing creature. (Now, true, the beach technically belongs to humans too, but it is a needful habitat for the seal, while a place of recreation for us.) She also failed to appreciate the potential danger her bad attitude put her in! Her foolishness could have easily ended with a serious bite! But, in comparison, how slow we are to be in awe of our God, the King of the Universe, and to make ourselves soft clay in His capable, loving hands -- going where He wills, and pleases! And how foolish we are to forget the power He wields. After all, this world is God's "beach" not ours! We are visitors here, and He gets to direct things, not us. Thankfully, He is a gracious and generous host!
"Weak Christians are very apt to three things -- to choose their mercies, to choose their crosses, and to choose their employments."
(Thomas Brooks 1608-1680)
