Reminiscing Bohol

A year ago this month, I was in Bohol enjoying a long-awaited vacation. May I share with you my thoughts then after a day spent mostly lying on a hammock by the beach under the shade of coconut trees?

It still doesn't cease to amaze me how many shades of blue there are -- in the sky, in the ocean... So with green. And the sunset last night... I cannot even begin to describe its glorious hues. God must have been showing off -- mixing a heavenly blend of purples, pinks, oranges, and reds. What a spectacular show!

God is so alive in this place. His Spirit pervades every element. His presence lives and moves in every tree, every drop of water, every cloud, every grain of sand. I have never felt so enveloped in His love through nature.

Today, as I lay peacefully in my hammock, I thought about how beautiful this place is and how long it took to create this place -- the sands ground to powder by millions of years of crashing waves, the trees that took years to sprout and grow and bear fruit, the ocean water that has been recycled over and over again for ages...

And then I realize, the ocean in all its age-old grandeur is not God's best showcase. The trees that reach up to the sky in praise of their Creator are not God's top display. More than the treasure the ocean holds and the beauty the trees provide, it is mankind that gives God His greatest joy. Now that is truly amazing!