Reflections on Vacation

I just got back from celebrating a wedding of a friend/client in Kauai. It was a memorable trip. Here are some of the photos from our trip. I apologize for the choppy format.

One of my goals was to spend some time with my son talking about God's creative power and His control over all of nature. I wanted to instill in my son a love for God's beauty and a hunger for Heaven. We had some great moments together.

We took our first hike together- pictured above where Hudson has his walking stick and backpack. He's only 4, so I had very low expectations. But he was an absolute trooper. We hiked 3+ miles to a waterfall and hiked 3+ miles back to our car. He did not complain once (that I remember).

We also spent a few nights on the beach searching for crabs with flashlights and nets. This was a good teaching moment. I asked him, "Do you know that God has control over the ocean? God says this about the ocean in Job 38:11, 'This far you may come and no further; here is where your proud waves halt.'"

We talked about how big the ocean is- something he could see from the plane ride. I told him God has control over every wave. The ocean is very vast and powerful and yet the water stops at the same area every time (I realize storms, tsunamis, etc... are an exception). I explained that every wave obeys God because He is in control. I told him how God had promised not to destroy the Earth by water again.

He was very silent taking this in. Then we started walking along the beach to search for more crabs. Hudson said real enthusiastically, "Dad, all the waves are obeying God except for this one. This wave is a bad wave because it went further than it was supposed to." Oh, to have the mind of a 4-year old.

Another thing I did was take walks along the beach with my one year old girl- Hope. We were on the East side of the island so a decent crowd gathered along the beach to watch the sunrise every day. My girl was fussier than normal because she was cutting teeth. I was struck by the contrast of a few things while we walked along the beach.

Here we were in this idyllic setting. The ocean, the sound, the breeze, the sun coming over the horizon. To me it renewed a hunger for the restoration of this world and the promises that God makes to eliminate all the effects of sin (pollution, crime, disease, etc...) The contrast was one morning Hope was screaming and I couldn't get her to calm down. I thought, "Oh boy, I am sure all of these people seeking a peaceful moment to watch the sunrise are enjoying this."

But also, I couldn't walk very far without smelling cigarette smoke. I noticed the beach was littered with hundreds of cigarette butts. Paradise except for the pollution and crying baby. It was a reminder of Romans 8:19, "All creation groans with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." God is in the restoration business. He is restoring people and creation. Every beautiful thing that we see is only a glimpse of what He is preparing for His eternal kingdom.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge