High up on my balcony I spent another early morning gazing out to sea.  Facing east the sunrise was spectacular as it had been on most mornings I had been there.  It was one of the reasons I rose so early – to witness the glory of colours as sea and sky were bathed in light.  But on this particular morning I had missed the sunrise.  Yet even so I lingered – as I often did – and watched this scene with delight.  May you be able to enjoy it with me as you read this short tale of what occurred …

Creatures together

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths … Young men and maidens, old men and children.  Psalm 148:7; 12

The sun had risen and was flooding the room with warm light when I came through. The sea stretched before me, stirred by wave motion, but unbroken and smooth. Even at this early hour there were surfers waiting, waiting for that elusive wave that would give them the story of their lives.

As I gazed down at them from the balcony, I realised that they were not alone. There, in their midst, was a school of dolphins, rising to the surface and submerging again. I could see, even from this height that the surfers were going underwater to see their visitors more clearly; for it seemed that the surfers had not swum out to the dolphins, but rather the dolphins had come to them. Man and animal were within touching distance of each other. I marvelled at the respect they had for one another and rejoiced at this sign of harmony in creation.

The dolphins surfed in the waves with more skill and grace than even the most experienced surfer on his board. Together, these creatures of the sea and their human companions rejoiced in the beauty of the morning and the thrill of the waves. And I, on my balcony high above, praised our Creator for the delight that we can have in one another.