“Who in our group has never seen the ocean?” I asked as we neared our destination. We were visiting the ocean during a weekend spiritual retreat with our church members.

A chorus of voices answered, “I haven’t ever seen the ocean!” One of them was Taa Buun, one of our oldest church members. He said, “I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. Only on television.”

“We’re almost there,” I said a few minutes later. “It’s just past the road up ahead.”

As the water came into view, Northern Khmer exclamations erupted. “It’s a miracle!” Taa Buun said. “It’s amazing!”

Once on the beach, Taa Buun was one of the first to get into the water. As we watched the old man experiencing the ocean for the first time in his life, we heard the other members saying, “You have to see the ocean before you die. Everyone should have the chance.” Several people shared this sentiment and were touched to witness this moment of a lifetime.

Most of the church members had never been to the ocean before. Seeing the awe and the amazement on their faces as they splashed in the water and let the waves roll over their toes was incredible.

Taa Buun will never forget his trip to the ocean. He will also not soon forget how great is the God he serves. His worldview has been changed, even just slightly, by seeing the vastness of the waters and knowing that his Creator is even greater than that.

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