Walking Beside the Sea

Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.


Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Matthew 15:29-39

I love walking beside the sea. It is a constant changing palette, light filtering and dancing, waves crashing and receding and gulls keeping up their choruses. Living along the Pacific ocean is different than our lives by the Atlantic and yet there are similarities that make my heart feel right at home. There are mountains here, that hug the water, like constant caretakers, close by young offspring. The sea is a life giving place, where food and dreams of travel spring from. It is where we began and how the world is renewed.

Jesus is walking beside the sea and people swarm to him. There is hope and healing in his presence and they seek him out in droves. They want to be reborn, rebuilt and remade. And he has compassion on them all, that in their hurry and ache they did not plan for the needs of their body. Their whole lives were focused on him. The small amount that was collected became the feast for thousands. A little faith and willing offerings can transform the world.

Today I ask God for a deep trust and expectation, believing that the little I might offered might be used for the good of all. May we trust that God is so ready to renew, rebuild and remake us, that we might venture forth and follow him. May we be transformed by the love of God and offer what we have so that all may receive today.