We boarded the ship, plopped our bags in the cabin and raced out to the balcony. There I stood, leaning against the sea salt-dusted rail with my 2 BFF’s Joan and Paula. The breeze was magnificent and the fragrance of the fresh sea air was invigorating. We just stood there silently, breathing out the stress of life and inhaling the peace that only the ocean brings. We didn’t say a word until Paula spoke.

“I love the ocean because it ‘rights’ me.” She captured just how I felt with those simple words.  The ocean does seem to “right” us — it puts us in our right place, doesn’t it? It reminded me of what David wrote; “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers; the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man that you take thought of him and the son of man that you care for him?”  (Psalm 8: 3-4)

Seriously, who are we in the vast scheme and size of creation? Compared to Mt. Everest, the Grand Canyon and the big blue Baltic, we are itty bitty!  We are so, so, small.

I think we all should feel our smallness every now and then.

Standing on a balcony overlooking something as big and unsearchable as the Atlantic Ocean can recalibrate your soul. It can slip all the gears of your thinking into place. You realize your insignificance, and yet somehow, it also  can reinforce your importance.

God is mindful of us. Isn’t that amazing?

So again, right before bedtime, I stood out on that same balcony alone. I pondered Paula’s words again and asked the question David asked, “what is man?” I mean, compared to the majesty  of the distant islands… the vast ocean — the huge blue basin that could swallow me up in one swell –  who the heck am I?! It is astounding God considers us at all.

Then I thought of Isaiah. He had a settled confidence as to where he stood in the huge scheme of creation. He knew who he was in relation to God and His universe.

He could have stood out on the balcony of that cruise ship with me that night , stared straight at the enormity before him and said; “Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.” (Isaiah 49:1)

So, I  did the same thing!!  I stood on the balcony and pulled an Isaiah…

I stared straight  into the boundless sea before me  and  said — right out loud–“Hey you, island!  Before you became a clod of land out there, God knew me!  He knew my name. Hey you, distant shore… I may feel awfully small out here in the middle of the ocean in this big boat on this big body of water, but God knows my name. He knows me, not just about me. He knows where I am and how I feel and how much I need Him.”

God knows your name too. He not only knows about you, He knows you. And, He doesn’t overlook you just because  somebody has a bigger problem or a bigger personality. He doesn’t miss seeing you because the grandeur and sheer size of His creation distracts Him. No matter how big the world is and no matter how small you may feel, God sees you.I know it may seem counter-intuitive, but maybe you need to stand beside something big today?  Do you need to see how small you  really are?  Acknowledging your true size can affirm your great significance to God.

Go get “right” by the ocean, or a mountain or a raging river or anything that is bigger than you and beyond you. Feel your smallness and then pull an Isaiah!  Lift your chin up, stand up straight and say, “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.”

It will reinforce your incredible value and sprinkle a little humility into your life all at once. It will leave you asking in absolute wonder, “What is man that You are mindful of me?”  And, I bet you’ll hear God whisper back to you just what you need to hear today.

P.S. I’m leading a ministry cruise February 19-26, 2017 and I would LOVE for you to come with me. We can all get “right” by the ocean together! Check here for more info – and hurry because it’s filling up fast! www.inspirationcruises.com/fgf

What part of God’s creation brings out your sense of smallness?