Blessings

So the title is a bit mainstream, but hear me out :)

If you happen to remember, I posted about how I really wanted to see a whale or dolphins play in our wake.  Well, I actually prayed about it too, real quick, and Holy Smokes!  Did we ever see dolphins up close!

It was incredible.  I actually thought that they were going to leave after a few minutes, like they've done before, but they stayed for a really long time!  I'd never seen them this close before!  My sister was given a legit underwater camera as a present, and we were able to get video footage of them swimming under us and even looking at us!  There was a little baby dolphin who had to wiggle really hard to go as fast as he wanted.  He was so cute!  He tried to jump out of the water, but he managed to do a little fail-jump.  But it was super cute anyhow :)  It was just so awesome to see them so clearly in the blue water.  It was flat calm that day, which is usually disappointing cause it's hotter, but for that experience it was perfect.



I mean, people.  This . NEVER. happens.  You simply don't see dolphins up close in crystal water in the wild like this.  I feel like Paul, "But be it far from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Galatians 6:14).  What I mean by that is, God did this for ME.  God gave me dolphins, like a gift.  The experience was awesome, but that fact Jesus answered my prayer and gave me the experience is what's so cool.

And also that he heard me in all of my bitterness and frustration and confusion and (still!) legalistic ways, he HEARD me!  ME!  My little blurb to Heaven- "It'd be great to see dolphins Lord"!

He's so cute!! :)



I also love the Flamingo Tongue, though I've mentioned it before.

This little creature reminds me of God's love for me.  When I was in 4th grade I studied it, and in 7th grade I saw one while snorkeling at Sombrero.  My family was off in the distance and we were trying to get to the Tower, so I had to leave it to get back to them in the rough water.  I was disappointed because no one in my family got the chance to see it.  So, I asked God to show me it again so I could show them as well.  On our way back from the Tower, I found 3 Flamingo Tongues.

But this summer, as I was snorkeling I saw something laying in a dip in the smooth coral.  I immediately knew what it was.  A Flamingo Tongue shell.  The neat thing about Flamingo Tongues is that their beautiful spotted shells are actually a mantle that slides back in when in danger.  The shell minus the mantle is smooth and usually a cream color.  Not particularly beautiful, but still neat nonetheless.

Well, most shells look like that.  But mine was the kind that was specially designed to be beautiful.  It is smooth as silk, and a distinct orange.  It blends from a cream to a burnt orange to a soft tangerine.  It's so perfect :)  It's even big too, which sometimes the shells are very small.  

It was really cool how much like a gift it felt.  It was like, "Here Lizzy, this is just for YOU!"  It was like is was sitting there, waiting for me, right in my vision so I couldn't possibly miss it.  And I knew what it was right away.  I didn't have to guess or double check.  As a friend once said about the sunset: "I can't help but picture a boy who is totally smitten with one particular girl. He draws her a sweet picture of a rose and a heart, and makes a little note to go along with it... he hides it somewhere he knows she's sure to find it... and then he waits....And I can't help but wonder if God, even though he's all-powerful, all-knowing, and impossible to describe, doesn't have the same feeling that boy does."

During the trip these verses just seemed to stand out to me: "What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not with him graciously give us all things?" ~ Romans 8:31-32

How will he not?