A Different Path

God told him, “Leave your native land and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.” Acts 7:3

A few friends, two of my sons, and I traveled to Baja, California, to a place called the Bay of Los Angeles. It is one of those places you never get to by accident. After an eight-hour drive from the border of California on paved roads, we had to drive another three hours on a dirt road.

We were hot and tired when we first got to the bay, so we piled out of our vehicles and headed for the water. As we approached the shoreline, we saw what appeared to be a red line bordering the edge of the water. Thousands of baby crabs had crawled to the edge of the water and were apparently resting. They parted to allow us to pass, and then they quickly filled in behind us. Living in San Diego, I had seen many of these red crabs at the beach, but I had never witnessed anything resembling this type of behavior.

The next day we went out in a sixteen-foot boat to try our hand at catching some fish. As soon as we anchored and put our lines in the water, we were astonished to see a whale bigger than our boat surface within fifty yards of our position. We were all a little nervous because we instantly recognized that the whale could easily overwhelm our boat. My oldest son was afraid the whale would take his bait, so he reeled it in just as fast as his ten-year-old arms would allow him. As he was frantically reeling, he cried out, “I don’t want the whale to get my bait!”

Our time at the Bay of Los Angeles was a memorable time full of relaxation, fun, and laughter. And it was full of the wonders of God’s creation, wonders none of us had ever before seen.

On what memorable paths has God taken you? Are you open to his leading?

God, open my eyes to the new paths you have for me.