Danger in retrospect

One day, as I walked along the promenade, I heard a wave breaking behind me. I turned to look at it, and saw a huge wave crashing onto the walkway right where I had been seconds before. I was pleased that it didn't wet me with its sticky salt water.



Sometimes when we look back on our experiences, circumstances and events, we see the danger we just missed, and realise how we were protected and kept safe. Give thanks. We don't always see it at the time, and may only see it in retrospect.

The warning crash

When a big wave hits the promenade wall, it makes a loud crashing sound, booming like thunder. It warns us that lots of spray is about to come up and drench us if we don't spring out of the way.



If there is "noise" in our lives, we may get drenched by a wave of some kind. We need to be still to hear the warning of the still, small voice in order to avoid it. Keep your spiritual eyes and your spiritual ears open. Be aware, listen.

Praying on a bench

One day I was sitting on a bench watching the waves, when I closed my eyes to pray. A particularly large wave broke right in front of me and slapped loudly on the pavement, so I opened my eyes. It was as if the sea was trying to get my attention.

                                  

Sometimes, if we aren't paying attention, the Lord has to do something dramatic to get our attention and have us open our spiritual eyes to see what He wants us to see.

Reacting to the waves

People respond differently to the waves breaking over the edge of the promenade. Some enjoy it and laugh. Some get a fright or are afraid, and scream. Some run away. Some deliberately stand in the way to get sprayed. Interestingly, no one tells anyone else that they shouldn't laugh, scream, run or get wet.





When people react differently to the way we would to a problem or trial, we shouldn't tell them how they should react or feel, eg "Don't be upset", "Don't cry", and so on. We experience the same thing differently to others and don't always understand others' reactions, nor should we judge them for their reactions.

Safe in the face of seeming danger

Sometimes and in certain places along the promenade, when the waves are huge, I can safely stand next to the railing at the very edge of the sea, and yet the waves wash out to sea again and don't harm or wet me. I don't stand where I know the waves break onto the walkway.




If we stay in safe places and live righteously, the dangers of life and temptations may come right up to us but not harm us. We will be protected, as I am by the promenade, but we must avoid spending time in places where we know there is spiritual danger.

Cape of Storms

Cape Town has several nicknames, one of which is Cape of Storms because of the big winter storms which it experiences. The wind can exceed gale force, the rains lash the coast, and the waves become mountainous. When a storm has died down and the sea is calm, it is wonderful and peaceful, and then it deserves one of its other nicknames, The Fairest Cape in All the World (this name was given by Sir Francis Drake). 

We only really appreciate the good after we have experienced the negative - joy after misery, health after illness or pain, peace after turmoil or unrest.



Sometimes huge waves approach the promenade, and they are quite scary. I feel sure they will break over the railing, yet often even the biggest waves dissipate by the time they reach the shore, and I am quite safe.

Looming problems and dangers don't always harm us if we are in a safe place, the place of a right choice, where we are meant to be. They too can dissipate and we wonder why we were so worried or afraid.

Damaged pillars and a wall

Along the sea edge of the promenade are cement pillars holding a railing in place. Those that stand where the sea breaks over the wall the most often do suffer damage even though they remain in place. Some lose chunks of cement, some get rusty spots where the metal rod inside is exposed, and some become discoloured. 

There are things we do which damage our spirits even though we may remain active in the church and think we are doing fine. Maybe we go to places where the Spirit won't be with us or where we know we will face temptation. Maybe we watch inappropriate movies, listen to music that doesn't have a good influence on us, or read books or look at pictures we shouldn't. We may think we are in our place and standing strong, but like the pillars facing rough seas, we may also lose chunks or become discoloured. The atonement can heal us of this damage if we choose to stay safely on the Lord's side.





In places where the sea is the most dangerous and the most likely to break over the promenade, a wall has been built for protection. We may need to build a wall of protection for ourselves and our families. We can do this by controlling the media in our lives, and by setting standards and limits.

Tanned feet

Last winter I would walk on the promenade on almost every sunny day, wearing sandals. After some time I noticed that my feet had been tanned with a V on top, in the shape of my sandals. This wasn't very desirable when I wore other shoes that showed the tops of my feet, so in summer I tried to tan over the pale part of my feet, but it took a long time and a lot of work to tan over.

The things we do to our spirits through our carelessness can mar us, but through the atonement we can repent and be forgiven, and be healed. Some things may take much longer than others, and a lot more work if they are deeply ingrained, or serious addictions or sins.

A time to walk and a time to wait

There are some places along the promenade where the waves almost always break over the railing at high tide, even if it isn't stormy. As I walk there often, I have learnt to gauge when it is safe to walk past so that I don't get sprayed with wet, salty sea spray. Those who are careless, get wet. One needs to watch how far away the next wave is, how fast it is travelling, and how big it is. Not all the waves break onto the promenade.

The Spirit can teach us how to make righteous judgements about people or situations to gauge their safety, whether physical or spiritual. Careless people don't learn how to judge, don't listen to the Spirit, rely on their own judgements, and get "sprayed with wet, salty sea water". As they make mistakes, they suffer in some way for making inaccurate judgements.

There is a time to walk and a time to wait so as not to be sprayed by the waves. There is a time to do all things, each in its appropriate time. A time to serve a mission, a time to marry, a time to have children, and so on. Doing things at the wrong time or in the wrong order can lead to heartache. I have learnt to walk just before the wave reaches the promenade, just as surfers learn the exact moment when to catch a wave, or it will be missed. There are opportunities we should take when presented, or we will lose out, eg the call to serve a mission.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries."

(Julius Caesar Act 4 Scene 3 Lines 218 - 221 by Shakespeare)

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; ... a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ... a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ... a time to keep silence, and a time to speak... " (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-9)

Cold and unwelcome

Last winter I didn't go to the promenade for awhile. I didn't feel like going. I didn't feel like the 20 minute drive. I didn't feel like walking in the icy cold wind and being sprayed by the cold waves. At that time my grandson would have tantrums when I wanted to go home because he wanted to stay longer, and I didn't feel like dealing with them.

One day, the sun shone beautifully. It was a gorgeous day so I drove to Sea Point. When I arrived, it was so lovely. The sun shone and sparkled on the sea, there were no waves, and the wind had disappeared. What a wonderful day it was. I wondered why I had stayed away for so long, why I had been so lazy. I had missed it. I was happy to be back. It was so refreshing and I enjoyed being there.

Some people stay away from church through laziness or apathy. They don't feel like attending. It's too far to travel. It's hard to get transport. They may feel unwelcome (cold in the wintry wind), people may offend them (my grandson's tantrums). But when they get up the will to come back, it's wonderful, refreshing, uplifting. They enjoy it and are happy there, and wonder why they stayed away.

Water, water...

The sea is essential for the existence of myriads of plants and animals, all sorts of creatures. Water is also essential for our existence and to sustain human life. We can’t go for more than a few days without water, or we will die. When the sea is rough, I think of the hymn – “O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds (or things in the world) Thy hands have made... then sings my soul, ...how great Thou art!” When the sea is calm and smooth, I find it restful, soothing, calming.

I am reminded of the waters of the atonement which are also essential for our life, our eternal life. The waters of baptism are essential for us to enter God's kingdom, as is the water of the sacrament when we renew our covenants which we have made with Him. Both cleanse us, heal us spiritually like physical water cleans and heals us physically. Euripides, the great Greek playwright who lived more than 400 years BC, wrote in one of his plays: “The sea washes away the stains & wounds of the world.”

There are many instances in the scriptures in which the Spirit is referred to as living water. Jesus said “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink… for out of his belly shall flow living water (but this He spake of the Spirit)” (John 7: 37 – 39). He also told the woman at the well that He could give her living water (John 4: 10). He spoke of Himself as the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13).

Years ago I read an essay in which the writer told how, when we draw on the seasand, a wave can come and wipe the sand clean. If we build a sandcastle, a wave can not only knock it down, but smoothe the sand as if the castle had never been there. If we dig a hole in the sand, a wave can fill it with sand so that it is completely gone. She likened this to the waters of the atonement. As we sin, we damage our spirits, but the waters of the atonement, consisting of baptism and the sacrament, can wipe us clean as if those things had never happened. Maybe, somehow, Euripides knew this.

In the ancient Greek myth, Narcissus discovered himself in a pool of water. If you look at a reflection of yourself in water, the edges are softened. In the same way, the waters of the atonement can soften our rough, hard edges and our encrustations of bad habits can be washed away, like dirt is washed away in water. Just as our reflection in water flows with the movement of tides, currents, waves and ripples, so the cleansing of the waters of the atonement reinstates a level of innocence and impressionability, and we can flow with the Spirit, and be susceptible to the impressions we receive from Him. Just as water washes us clean, so the waters of the atonement cleanse and purify us so that the Spirit can be with us. Jesus said “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). (Thomas Moore, Dark Nights of the Soul, pg 61 – 63)

Progressing at my own rate

There are always other people on the promenade. Some walk, some run, some push prams or wheelchairs, some sit on benches, some visit with friends or read – there are many kinds of activities happening there. The people are all there for different reasons, such as enjoyment, exercise, fresh air, to see the views, to spend time with family, to lose weight, to get fit, to train for a race, to be with a friend, and so on.

Those who are doing the same thing may have different styles, eg those who are running run at different speeds, wearing different types of shoes or are barefoot, and they run in different styles, some barely lifting their feet, and others lifting them high. No runner stops another runner to comment on their speed or style or shoes. No one says, “Run faster”, or “Don’t walk so slowly”. Some are handicapped, but no one criticises them. The people are all different ages. They are all moving along the promenade but not all in the same direction. Some are setting out while others are returning. I walk. Some walkers who pass me are substantially older than I am. There are babies in prams (strollers), and the elderly and handicapped in wheelchairs. They need someone to push them. Everyone is moving at their own speed and in their own style.

 As I thought about this, I wondered why people in families and wards, or friends, criticise and judge each other. Why do they want to correct others, condemn them, or remove the mote from their eyes? We are all moving, living and progressing in our own way and at our own pace. We shouldn’t criticise the way others do or don’t live the gospel. For example, we may think things like – he doesn’t keep the Sabbath holy because he goes to the shops on a Sunday, she dresses immodestly, he is a poor teacher, he doesn’t do his home teaching regularly, she doesn’t attend Relief Society, and many other critical thoughts. Just as the walkers and runners are tolerant of each other, so should we be as we each make our way along life’s path in our own way.

The toy in my hand

As I push Matthew in his pram, I try to get him to look at the beautiful sea, the waves, the spray of the waves crashing against the promenade’s edge, the dolphins when we see them, but he is usually so focused on his book or toy that he may only glance up and not look long enough to see the spray. In fact, most times he misses the things I point out to him because he won’t look long enough. He doesn’t have the attention span nor the patience. If I see dolphins, he won’t watch the spot long enough for them to resurface. I have to keep staring at & around the spot where they are in order to see them.

We too shouldn’t be so focused on material things, acquisitions and things of little value, like Matthew’s toy in his hand, that we miss the beauties of life, and of nature. President Packer said that spiritual experiences can’t be forced. Staring at the sea and willing the dolphins to appear won’t make it happen. We have to be patient and keep watching and waiting for the Spirit to speak to us, or for answers to prayers. If we look away, or are inattentive, if we immerse ourselves in worldly things, we will miss spiritual wonders that may be there, but we aren’t paying attention.

Look up

On the one side of the Sea Point swimming pool is a lovely little playpark which is entirely enclosed. It is built right on the edge of the sea but high above it, and there is a very high fence on the wall, keeping everyone safely inside. I like to go there in winter because it is warm. I always sit on the bench closest to the sea and keep one eye on my grandson and one eye on the sea.

                                                           (This is not my grandson.)

 One day when we were there, there were lots of other children. Each had at least one adult with them, so there were about 30 or more people in this little park. After a while I noticed a whale. It wasn’t swimming past, but was taking a rest directly in front of me, and was blowing water out of his spout. I was very excited and looked towards all the people to see who else had seen the whale, expecting them all to be excited too. I was very surprised that not one of them had seen it. Each adult was so concerned with their own child that none of them looked up. None of them looked out to sea. Each was so involved in their own little world around them that they were unaware of what was going on not too far away.

I would encourage everyone to look beyond your own world or area of concern, and see the beauties of life. Take the long view. Have an eternal perspective. Look up. Look out. Look afar. If we get bogged down in our own little world, which may seem like the only world there is, if we are so concerned about our own cares and worries, and our own problems, we will miss the wonders around us. There is a beautiful world to enjoy. It can give us joy in times of difficulty. There are beauties in life too, such as other people who love us, people whom we can help & love, children with all their wonder & innocence, and there are all the beauties of the wonderful gospel.

Hidden worlds

The surface of the sea may look smooth and flat, as though it is resting and nothing is happening, but there is always a lot going on inside. There are moving currents which we can’t see. There are living creatures swimming or being born or dying or being eaten, or escaping another hungry creature. Plants grow and move with the currents.

People are like that too. We can’t judge others by their outward appearance. They may look fine, even happy, but everyone goes through trials and hard times, and has problems and unhappinesses, and we aren’t always aware of it. Just as we may enter and swim in a seemingly calm sea, yet be entering a living, moving world, so when we interact with each other, we intrude on someone’s emotions and should tread carefully and be gentle with each other. Let’s not give offence or be hurtful.

It's not how far we go but how long we spend that matters

I usually walk a certain route which I know is a total of 5km and takes me 1 hour. I push my grandson in the pram (stroller), and he weighs nearly 20 kgs, plus there is the weight of the pram and whatever we put in it, like books for him to read & toys for him to play with. So sometimes I get tired towards the end of my walk & walk more slowly.

One day, as I got near the car, I had to walk beyond the car to make up the full 5kms, but I had already walked for an hour. I was very tired and didn’t feel like going the extra bit. As I inwardly debated whether I should make up the 5 kms, this thought came to me: It’s not how long we spend, but how far we go, that matters, and as that thought came into my mind, I realised that it applied equally to scripture study.

 It’s how long we spend in the scriptures, not how far we read, that matters. We may read only a little, but if we study it and ponder and pray about it, that is more important than hurrying through a certain number of pages to make up our daily quota. We may learn more from that kind of reading than if we rush through a lot.

What to do?

One day, after our walk, we spent time at the playpark. There was a terrible smell and I was feeling irritable about it, and not enjoying myself. After some time, I realised – I don’t have to sit here. I can go home, or go somewhere else. How silly of me to take so long to realise that, but I had wanted to allow my grandson time to play there.

I thought how sometimes people watch inappropriate movies or TV because there is nothing else to watch! That is equally "silly". We have the choice of turning it off. If there is nothing else to watch, we don’t have to watch anything. We can read a wonderful book or go for a walk, or have an early night, or we can even spend time with our families. Often, these alternatives are even better than "good" TV shows too!

Take time to ponder

Once when we arrived I immediately noticed that on the calm, flat surface of the sea was one large rough patch. It was very interesting and I rushed to the edge of the promenade to see what it was. I stared at it for a long time but couldn’t make out what it was. It was slowly moving towards the Waterfront. Eventually, I noticed that it was a large pod of dolphins.

I thought how sometimes when we study the scriptures we need to ponder them a long time in order to see the treasures in them and really understand them. Jesus said: "...ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand..." (3 Nephi 17: 3). When Nephi pondered his father's vision, he also saw a vision (1 Nephi 11: 1).

Sunset and the Son of God

One Saturday evening I walked along the promenade on my own. When I walked away from the setting sun, everything looked grey and all the world was growing dark. It wasn’t a very attractive sight. When I walked towards the sun, there was light. There were lovely colours and everything looked beautiful. It was quite an amazing contrast. I was so interested in it that I kept turning my head in both directions to compare the views.

As we look away from the Son of God, or turn our back on Him and walk away from Him, our world will seem grey and spiritually dark. It will be grey in that we will find it hard to know what is right or wrong, what is good or bad, what is true or false. There will be no clearcut boundaries and distinctions. But as we look towards the Son of God and walk towards Him by following Him, there is light in our lives and our minds because “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened” (Mosiah 16:9). We will be able to see clearly. He will enlighten our minds. Our world will be full of colour, meaning it will be joyful and we will experience happiness. There will be beauty. Without the Son in our lives we experience misery, but with Him lighting our lives, we will have confidence and hope.

The foghorn and the still small voice

I often park next to the lighthouse in Mouille Point because there is a lovely big playpark there for Matthew. I have wondered how the people living near the foghorn feel about the noise when it goes off in winter. Does it bother them? Does it wake them up at night if it starts when they are asleep, or does it keep them awake if it is sounding when they go to bed? One day when we got back from our walk in Sea Point, after quite a while I noticed that the foghorn was sounding. It had taken quite some time for me to notice the sound. It was a low sound, soft and gentle, yet far-reaching, and after listening to it I thought that it was quite pleasant, and that if I was in bed at night and heard it, I would find it quite comforting. I enjoyed listening to it.

In the same way the Spirit speaks to us in a still, small voice. We may not notice it if we aren’t listening for it, just as I didn’t notice the foghorn at first, but if we do hear it and listen to it, it is comforting and we will enjoy it. “The Lord was not in the wind… not in the earthquake… not in the fire, but after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19: 11 & 12).

I was surprised that the foghorn was sounding because there was only a slight seamist in the air. In the same way, the Spirit may warn us when there is only a slight danger, or when we aren’t expecting it. We need to attune our ears so that we will hear Him whenever He speaks to us, just as the Nephites had to open their ears to hear God speak to them just before Christ appeared. “They did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it” (3 Nephi 11: 5).

Of gulls and fish - leaving the safety of standards

One day as I looked out to sea I saw a large flock of seagulls and other birds flying low over the sea. They weren’t flying in any particular direction but were hovering close to the surface, diving and swooping. I wondered why they were doing this, and as I looked closely I saw a huge shoal of fish swimming close to the surface, some actually jumping up into the air and others flip-flopping about. All the birds had to do was stay close and the fish practically jumped into their mouths. 

In the same way, if we are careless about our standards and get too close to the edge, we can be caught by Satan and die spiritually. We need to stay well within the standards taught by the church to be safe. We may think we can handle ourselves and not be caught, and we may think we are having fun, but as we step onto the wrong side, we are stepping into Satan’s territory, like those fish leaving the safety of the sea and jumping into the air where they didn’t belong.

Standing strong in the storm

The areas through which the promenade runs are Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Sea Point and Bantry Bay. One day when I arrived and parked my car in Three Anchor Bay, I was shocked at what I saw. The sea seemed to be boiling. It was more than rough or turbulent. It was violent and ferocious, and seemed to be very angry. I was reminded of the hymn, “Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high!”  I had never seen such big waves.

As I looked along the promenade towards Sea Point, the waves were breaking against the wall of the promenade and were being thrown up into the sky twice as high as the lamp posts. Many gigantic waves were breaking over the railing and right across the promenade, which is about 8 meters wide, and onto the grass for several meters! It was too dangerous to walk there. I was stunned by what I was looking at.  I decided to walk along the pavement following the street, from where I could watch these enormous waves from a very safe distance. It was quite scary just to look at. (These photos don't do justice to what I saw that day.)

The next day when we returned, all of the sea storm was over. We walked safely along the promenade again. The 3rd verse of that hymn begins: “Master, the terror is over. The elements sweetly rest.” As we walked, I examined the concrete pillars which hold up the railings along the edge of the promenade.

They were all there. None had been swept away. I found myself silently congratulating them on standing their ground in such a violent storm. They had stood firm in spite of all the attacks of the sea, and at times being completely swallowed up by the waves. They didn’t budge. They didn’t give in. They were still in their place. I hope that we will be like those pillars – firm, steadfast and immoveable in spite of the storms with which life overwhelms us, despite the violent battering of giant waves that threaten to tear us down, and no matter what temptations may rage against us. The 2nd verse of that hymn comes to mind: “Torrents of sin and of anguish sweep o’er my sinking soul, and I perish! I perish! dear Master. Oh, hasten & take control.” I hope that we will always be found in our place, where we should be, unconquered & unconquerable.

Those pillars are made of solid, hard material. How firm is the material of which we are made? They are firmly rooted in their place with metal poles inside which hold them to the ground like roots. What holds us in place is a strong testimony of Christ for times when Satan rages against us and temptations threaten to overwhelm us. Having Jesus Christ as our anchor or foundation, as well as having a relationship with Him, which can be developed through prayer and scripture study, also holds us in our place.

 Helaman taught his sons: “Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12)

Another thing which keeps the pillars firmly in place is that they are joined to each other by horizontal metal poles firmly inserted into each pillar. It looks like they are holding hands. This can be likened to us having strong relationships with others who will keep us strong when we cannot stand alone. These can be family members, friends, and ward members. We should hold onto each other in hard times and not let go. If we give up caring because someone stops attending church, they may be swept away by the waves in their lives. Like the pillars, if we let go of a brother or sister, we are weakened too by our lack of charity, or pure love. 

Master, the Tempest Is Raging

 1. Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threat’ning
A grave in the angry deep?

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

 2. Master, with anguish of spirit I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control!

 3. Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.

 Text: Mary Ann Baker, ca. 1874
 Music: H. R. Palmer, 1834–1907

I love the sea!

I love the sea! I live in Cape Town, South Africa and I love to walk along the seafront in Sea Point. For several kilometres there is a very wide walkway called the promenade. I can walk from the Waterfront to Bantry Bay, which is about 5 kilometres. I enjoy it because I can be right next to the sea without being in it, and it is much easier to walk on than a sandy beach, particularly as I push my 3 year old grandson, Matthew in a pram (stroller). I love to be at the sea. It has a calming, soothing effect on me, and I think it is one of the most beautiful of the creations. Because it is ever-changing, I find it ever-fascinating. As I walk and admire it, I like to think, to pray in my heart, and to listen for the Spirit. He has taught me many things as I walk along the sea and I would like to share a few of them with you in the future.

This photo shows Table Mountain with Lion's Head and Signal Hill in front of it. The promenade is along the edge of the sea (the white line next to the grass). Not all of it is shown here.