The waves were huge. I was with my family off the island of Kauai, in Hawaii, taking a 17-mile ocean kayak trip. Several months earlier, our daughter had made this same trip when the sea was as calm as the peaceful waters of a lake. But on this day, the wind began blowing with such force that the ocean swell was impressive and rather fearsome. In fact, a couple of the people in our group flipped out of their kayaks, and getting back into them was challenging.
Never in my life have I prayed with such persistence, and for so long. While paddling, I was both affirming the omnipresence of God and expressing my gratitude and admiration for the power of the waves and the magnificent view of the coastline. I even gave thanks for the marine wildlife crossing our path.
This passage from the Bible was constantly in my thought: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalms 139:7–10). I have never before seen such clear proof of this psalm’s promise as I did during the first several miles of our trip.
