David Nehrig
CSUS National Director
“Bang, bang, bang, crack, crack, crack,” went the cute little sea otters near me. When I was surfing up in Santa Cruz a few weeks back, I got to watch these magnificent animals dive down and grab a mussel off the bottom of the ocean. They came back up, rolled on their backs, took the mussel in their cute little hands and banged it against their stomachs.
As I paddled closer, I realized they would put a rock on their stomach and then bang the mussel against the rock. The noise was so unique and the technique was fascinating. As I waited for my next wave, I couldn’t help but watch and listen to these sea otters eating. It was truly amazing.
In that moment, I sat and stayed still watching and thanking God for His creation. I was in awe and wonder at how incredible this animal was – from the design of the head to the hands, the feet, and the layers of fur they had to stay warm in the freezing Santa Cruz water.
Our God is the ultimate artist and creator. God, thank you for creating animals.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, it records the story of creation. Genesis 1:20-23 reads, “And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.”
As we surf and enjoy the incredible ocean, may we slow down and remember the God who created it and all the wonderful animals that fill it.
“Be Still” is the theme for this year for Christian Surfers United States. And I want to encourage each one of us to move slower and to take the time to appreciate God’s workmanship and how He created the world. What a gift and what a God we have. We are truly blessed.
(Image by: Josh Shieffer)
