As one of the many airplanes that carried me back and forth over the Pacific this summer descended on the Philippines, these words poured through my earbuds - over the plane's whirring engines and the wailing baby 6 rows up.
Oceans became a little bit of a landing tradition.
You see, many places in the Philippines have the most gorgeous landings.
You come in over the ocean and as you peer out the window, it rises towards you and you don't quite see land until the landing gear is touching it.
Talk about trust without borders.
And so it is with all beautiful things - they're also a little scary, a little nerve-wracking.
Beauty requires trust.
We sang Oceans at youth group last night - When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace.
And I'm right back on that plane.
And I'm standing right there again - the tide slowly rolling in and out, its calming rhythm keeping time to the words I'm speaking to a rolling camera and countless teens back home all at once.
But this beach is no Sandals ad. A slum is sprawled out behind me, and the curious faces of the Filipino locals - mostly children - stare at me from beyond the camera. Four Canadians and an American with a camera is no daily occurrence, I guess.
The watermarks are just visible on the stilts of these childrens' homes behind me, and the day before when we had visited their homes, we're told that their homes will sometimes flood during high tide.
When oceans rise...
And me? I'm just numb.
The reality of it all comes at me in waves.
When our team leader - what a blessing she is - leaned over to me in the van on the way back to the hotel and said, "It's hard not to become desensitized to all this. But I just constantly remember how very real this is. This is their lives."
And when later that night my sweet roommate and I realized that those kids were still there - they are still there - sleeping in those potentially flooded homes.
And most recently, the staggering reality of that place hits me at youth group. While singing Oceans.
The words leave my lips: When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours, and You are mine.
I'm painfully aware of what I'm saying.
How easy is it for me to sing those words?
When oceans rise, my house doesn't flood. Plain and simple.
Of course my soul can rest - the floors of my home aren't soaked with those rising oceans.
Sure, I've got waves crashing at me but not quite as literally as those sweet Filipino children I met on that beach.
How is that fair?
I'm painfully aware that I'm angry.
I'm angry at my culture and my comfort zones and I'm angry at me.
Angry at how easily I'm able to sing those words and at how I so patheticallywant need the comfort that allows me to easily sing those words.
To be painfully blunt, I'm angry at how much I don't care once those Filipino children aren't right in front of me.
I'm angry at all the ways I don't want to change for the sake of justice, and oh man - isn't it an ugly world where I can sing a beautiful song about rising oceans while a Filipino family's greatest trouble is a rising ocean beneath their home?
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.
Beauty requires trust.
And isn't that it? Those words I spoke on that beach to that rolling camera - the God we serve has a perfect plan to bring beauty to this ugly world.
All He asks of us is trust.
He asks us to trust Him enough to say yes to our part in this plan, and that is all. That is our hope.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever You may call me.
Yes, God. Wherever You may call me.
I trust You, for I know that beauty requires trust.
And in a world where oceans rise into those Filipino homes and into my life, I trust You and I. say. yes.
When oceans rise -
My soul will rest in Your embrace.
Oceans became a little bit of a landing tradition.
You see, many places in the Philippines have the most gorgeous landings.
LoadingArriving in Cebu at sunset. Breathtakingly beautiful! #1000gifts #childhoodhome #latergram
You come in over the ocean and as you peer out the window, it rises towards you and you don't quite see land until the landing gear is touching it.
So, I mean, I'm definitely not a nervous flyer (quite the opposite actually), but these landings can be a little nerve-wracking, too.
Talk about trust without borders.
And so it is with all beautiful things - they're also a little scary, a little nerve-wracking.
Beauty requires trust.
We sang Oceans at youth group last night - When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace.
And I'm right back on that plane.
And I'm standing right there again - the tide slowly rolling in and out, its calming rhythm keeping time to the words I'm speaking to a rolling camera and countless teens back home all at once.
LoadingShooting the standup with @_godsgal4ever #standup #cebu #philippines #poverty #hope
But this beach is no Sandals ad. A slum is sprawled out behind me, and the curious faces of the Filipino locals - mostly children - stare at me from beyond the camera. Four Canadians and an American with a camera is no daily occurrence, I guess.
The watermarks are just visible on the stilts of these childrens' homes behind me, and the day before when we had visited their homes, we're told that their homes will sometimes flood during high tide.
When oceans rise...
And me? I'm just numb.
The reality of it all comes at me in waves.
When our team leader - what a blessing she is - leaned over to me in the van on the way back to the hotel and said, "It's hard not to become desensitized to all this. But I just constantly remember how very real this is. This is their lives."
And when later that night my sweet roommate and I realized that those kids were still there - they are still there - sleeping in those potentially flooded homes.
And most recently, the staggering reality of that place hits me at youth group. While singing Oceans.
The words leave my lips: When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours, and You are mine.
I'm painfully aware of what I'm saying.
How easy is it for me to sing those words?
When oceans rise, my house doesn't flood. Plain and simple.
Of course my soul can rest - the floors of my home aren't soaked with those rising oceans.
Sure, I've got waves crashing at me but not quite as literally as those sweet Filipino children I met on that beach.
How is that fair?
I'm painfully aware that I'm angry.
I'm angry at my culture and my comfort zones and I'm angry at me.
Angry at how easily I'm able to sing those words and at how I so pathetically
Loading
To be painfully blunt, I'm angry at how much I don't care once those Filipino children aren't right in front of me.
I'm angry at all the ways I don't want to change for the sake of justice, and oh man - isn't it an ugly world where I can sing a beautiful song about rising oceans while a Filipino family's greatest trouble is a rising ocean beneath their home?
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.
Beauty requires trust.
And isn't that it? Those words I spoke on that beach to that rolling camera - the God we serve has a perfect plan to bring beauty to this ugly world.
All He asks of us is trust.
He asks us to trust Him enough to say yes to our part in this plan, and that is all. That is our hope.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever You may call me.
Yes, God. Wherever You may call me.
I trust You, for I know that beauty requires trust.
And in a world where oceans rise into those Filipino homes and into my life, I trust You and I. say. yes.
When oceans rise -
My soul will rest in Your embrace.
