Dear Friends,

Awhile back I had some time to spend with God by the Gulf of Mexico.  I have always loved being around water.  It has become an important part of my spiritual development.  It feeds my soul with the wonder of God.  Nature has become one of my personal encounters with God’s Love.  I cannot explain the gift it is for me, but then I don’t want to.  By explaining things we take the mystery out them.  We stay in our heads.  We think too much.  This can be a hindrance to meeting God or simply a lesson on what is a hindrance to God.  As I read recently in my devotions, “We are called to get out of our heads so we can enter our hearts.”  Pentecost is the Season in the Church Year where we are called to enter our hearts so we can speak in other languages – God Languages.

So what did I hear by the Gulf?  I heard the screech of the sea gulls.  They would fly by or sit on the beach talking about their space or their food. They would also screech as they flew close to one another.  I was amazed at how 25 sea gulls could fly and dive bomb around one another and never crash.  I watched as they got close and let out their cry.  A sudden shift of a wing caused a near miss.  I also listened to the waves hit the shore.  This was their announcement of “Here I am!”  I wondered where those drops of water had been and what they would say about hitting this beach at this moment.  Of all the beaches of the world they choose to hit this beach.  I then watched the silent flight of the pelican.  Soaring on air or dive bombing into the water to catch the close to the surface unsuspecting fish was their pattern.

What does this have to do with speaking in different languages, like the first disciples on Pentecost?  Not much if you are looking for logic or an easy answer.  But if you are willing to get out of your head for awhile – Listen.  You might  hear the language of sensitivity.  The sea gulls were aware of their surroundings and their sister and brother gulls.  There was no hitting or destroying another creature because someone had entered their space.  I heard the language of wonder.  Drops of water being who knows where for how long crashing into this shore for a brief second only to be swallowed up in a larger whole.  I heard the language of trust.  Believing that the wind currents would keep the pelican in flight.  Also the trust that food would be provided and how the sacrifice of one’s life would add to the life of another.

Do we speak these languages in our lives?  Are we willing to get out of our head to enter our heart?  Will we soar with the spirit to dive bomb into life with the Love of God?  I came back from the Gulf of Mexico renewed and filled with the Pentecost Spirit.  Please join me so we can speak the language of God found in Nature.

Peace,

Gary