If you have never experienced a special “just for me” moment from God, you are missing out and not truly experiencing the relationship that Jesus died for us to have. From the time I was ten, I had no bigger dream then to swim with wild dolphins. (Reach for the stars, I know. Hey, I was ten!) At age 12, I went out on a dolphin excursion in Destin, Florida with my family and a few family friends. We had numerous dolphins swim up along side of the boat and catch the waves, jumping and letting out their cute “e-e-e” call. Seeing them jump and open their blowholes was the coolest experience. After anchoring the boat and jumping in at a few different spots, the smart mammals continuously swam off. They were a little skittish.
We were getting towards the end of our tour and I remember mom looking at me and said, “Would it be ok if we just got a really cool picture?” I nodded. A little disappointed, but understood. The appeal of it all was they were wild and they did what they wanted. Mom looked to the sky and said, “OK God, you heard us.” Moments later a dolphin swam right up to the side of the boat, stood straight up, let out an “e-e-e-e-e-e” and swam off. I got my picture.
That was my first time I remember experiencing a “special me” moment. The cool thing about those moments is they are so subtle it’s easy to say they are “coincidence.”
What’s cool is they are little things that sometimes only God knows about you. It’s like the still small voice. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t conscious of God’s presence and personality. It’s how He knows my smallest desires and makes them happen. Just because he knows it will makes me happy. All the crazy things going on in the world and He thinks to do those little things. How can anyone say “God forgot about me”?
Fast forward to my second anniversary trip to Grand Turks and Caicos with my hubby and best friend. We are staying at the all-inclusive, and pretty amazing, Club Med resort and decided to try the snorkeling. I almost bailed on it, the water was choppy and Lisa, the snorkeling guide, stressed ONLY expert swimmers and those with a strong stomach. We were going to have to swim to the boat because the weather was too bad to dock it. They hadn’t had to do this in over four months. Of course I start wondering if I am considered an “expert swimmer.” I broke a school swim record in high school and was captain of the team but still was freaked out. I looked around and everyone else probably had their AARP cards so I figured to give it a go.
I stand back and watch everyone swim to the boat, two woman get knocked down and disappear in the waves, reappearing 100 yards down the beach. Another man gets pulled under the current. For a moment I think I hear circus music playing in the background.
We finally are on the boat and headed out to sea when I see a dolphin do a huge leap in front of the boat. “JOJO!” JoJo is the dolphin that swims around the island. He is considered a National Treasure in Grand Turns and Caicos and everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of him. Everyone jumps up to see him and he swims in the breaks all the way to our diving point. He stays around and Lisa lets us know he will play with us if we don’t reach for him. She hands me a toy rattle for him and I am the first to jump in.
To say this experience was exciting is being reserved. JoJo swam up to me and we circled each other for a while. He played with the boat anchor and sang to it. He then came back and we circled the boat, I would kick my legs and he would mimic me and kick his fin. I would turn on my side and he would turn on his. I was near tears by the time we had to load on the boat and head back. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect, cool experience. It was like God tailored it for just me. After sixteen years, He still remembered and knew those things about me that even I had forgotten about. That’s what’s so cool about God. He doesn’t forget.
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