God is an Ocean

John 15:9- “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
                As you have most likely noticed, I love everything about the ocean.  If I had my way, I would live on it, or even better under it. Since I was a child, my favorite place on earth is beneath the water, any water. If I was in a pool that was 3 feet deep, I was at the bottom. If it was a 10 foot deep pool, I wanted to be at the bottom, sitting and resting. It does not matter what kind of water- river, lake, sea, or pool- if I can get in, I want to be at the bottom. I have a constant desire to sit at the bottom of any body of water because of the peace I feel when I am there.
                A few months ago I was in a river, and I dove down to the bottom. I grabbed a rock about 25 feet below the surface, and put it in my lap so that I could sit down there and watch the bass and perch swim by me. It was a beautiful scene, with tree roots, green grass, a majestic view of the sun shimmering through the water, with giant boulders surrounding me. If the water wasn’t 45 degrees, I would have stayed a lot longer. I often practice holding my breath to increase my abilities, so that I can better enjoy being at the bottom of any water I come across. My personal maximum depth on a single dive is 80 feet. That was in Cozumel and it was beautiful, but I wasn’t able to reach the bottom and sit.
                Why am I telling you this? Jesus was quoted in John 15:9 to say "remain in my love." For me, the best place that I feel God’s love is at the bottom of the water. I am not sure why I feel that way, I only know that when I am there, watching other people or fish swim, looking at the rays of light penetrating through the blue, seeing the effects of the wind above the water as I sit in peace, I feel one with God. I don’t feel shame or regret; I don’t feel pain or sadness.
                This is exactly what our secret place with God should be. Too often we go to God to sort out our problems and seek His help, but we don’t know how to “remain in His Love.” The word remain can also be translated as “abide.” If we are to abide in God’s love, that means we must not vacation with God, but we must constantly live there. How often do we just sit with God, and appreciate Him? I can answer that for you: Not Enough. God is wonderful. He is absolutely beautiful, loving, kind, and wondrous. I can sit at His feet, so to speak, and look up at Him (like I did in that cold river, when I was looking at the fish and tree roots and sun beams) in complete admiration and awe. Sitting here now, it makes me want to hold my breath, close my eyes, and smile. He is good. He is boundless. And He loves you. However your secret place looks, when you spend time with Him today make sure you stop talking for a moment. Slow down, and appreciate Him. Speak if you have to. But more than anything, Abide in His Love.

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