(This was originally going to be my very first blog post–but it got pushed off. I think it is a nice interlude after writing about my proposed Approaches to Life. Image from West Haven, CT, in the USA. I made some light edits on this post, as it was from March 2024 originally.)
My writing continues. This entry is one of the first, tucked away in MS Word, and now shared with the world. It’s not just going into a journal, but out into the real world, where real people will read it.
Today’s post is about an experience I had on vacation with my wife in Connecticut in the USA. I was at a beach in March 2024—not real beach weather yet, by any means. I had discovered this jetty that went out into the ocean, and as I sat there, the waves crashed and the wind blew—howling around me. It even carried the sand this way and that.
As I sat on this rock, I heard the Spirit say: “The Rock is Christ”, a line from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. 10:4, Christian Scriptures) It was as though I was being given a clue, and I was able to see the rest of the puzzle, which I did not even know was there.
I could fumble my way to the rest—I stared out into the vastness of the Ocean—this was a metaphor for God-limitless, and uncontainable, and yet always seemingly in a state of motion, creating and re-creating.
Then there was Wind, blowing, that I could not see-but I could see its effects, such as the sand blowing, and I could feel that Wind caress my face, and see it play on the waves. It’s what Christians call the “Holy Spirit”. That Spirit in the Genesis account of creation “hovered over the waters”. (Gen 1:2)
Don’t check out if the Christian imagery does not resonate with you—I imagine we all have our moments in Nature where we are awed, touched, moved, and inspired.
That is what I experienced, and how I interpreted it. I also thought how the jetty led me, in a sense, and supported me as I venture out into that vastness of my own soul, my own feelings, an exploration of who I am and what I should do. I do this by writing now–and you get to share this moment with me. You get in some way to be there with me and experience that wind and waves, however you wish.
Get “out there” if you can—away from the screens! Breathe the fresh air, see what may speak to you. If that is not possible, perhaps find a quiet place where you can encounter yourself, and perhaps discover a Greater Reality.
-Eric, the Wordsmith
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