A Sense of Awe

     I have had a great respect for the power of the ocean since childhood… from wipeouts while bodysurfing at various beaches on family vacations to a summer spent on the coast of the Olympic National Park as a teenager.

    That same sense of awe and respect for the ocean returned when Al and I recently traveled to the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, to witness the dramatic changes of the tides which leave fishing boats stranded in the sand at low tide and reverse the course of rivers at high tide.

     Carved out by glaciers, the bay is shaped like the trunk of a tree with two stubby branches. It has a fairly narrow opening and is deep, so that when the gravitational pulls of the moon and the sun cause the ocean waters along the North Atlantic coastline to swell, the tide rushes into the bay with great force. In six hours it can rise as much as fifty feet at the two northernmost points of the bay.

     One highlight of the tour was seeing the “Reversing Falls” on the Saint John River. We were bussed to a spot overlooking the river in the morning at low tide. At that time, the water was flowing swiftly downstream, into the bay and out to the ocean.

     Later that afternoon at high tide, we came back to the same spot. This time though, the river was rushing in the opposite direction, with the rapids going upstream. Yes, it could be described as a waterfall which had reversed, although not of Niagara caliber!

     Our guide explained that after about six hours, there is a very short span of time when the currents of the river and the tide are equal. Then, the tide begins running back to the ocean; and the river resumes its normal course. The whole process is repeated twice daily. It really was amazing to observe!

      People living along the Bay of Fundy are always checking their tidal charts. One sign at the top of the stairway leading to the Hopewell Rocks in the Fundy National Park posted this warning in bold print: “You must be back here by 5:00 p.m.” The time was changed daily to prevent someone who was exploring the ocean floor or walking around the bases of the huge rock formations from being washed away when the tide poured in.

      Al and I made sure that we climbed back up those stairs with plenty of time to spare. The power of the sea is to be respected and always taken into consideration, whether by fishermen, beachcombers, residents or tourists.

     The ocean fills me with a sense of awe at its sheer might, at the power of its tides and its vast expanse. I get this same feeling about God when I’m in a place of natural beauty or worshipping with other believers and also when I read about His great works in the Bible—a sense of awe and reverence. It is amazing to comprehend that our God, mighty in power, loves us and desires a personal relationship with us. Are we living with that awareness, honoring and respecting Him and committing our lives to Him? If not, it isn’t too late to make a change!

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1: 7 NIV