God Knows

On one of my vacation trips to South Padre Island, Texas, I had planned to go swimming in the sea and learn to surf. Trying to escape the cold winter of the Pacific Northwest, we were looking forward to some sun and the warmer weather there. The last time we were there, we came back with a nice tan.


After a 9 hour drive from Dallas, we were deeply disappointed to discover that a storm system had arrived in the Gulf of Mexico, and the strong winds would put a damper on our plans.

Even then, we still hoped to at least play in the surf for an afternoon. That didn’t materialize as the temperature dipped below 10 degrees C.

We ended up shopping and driving into a small town in Mexico.

The next morning while on a walk on the beach, we encountered ‘blue bottles’ scattered on the beach. Very quickly, we found out what they were; Portuguese Man O’ War jellyfish!

They were beautiful to behold but extremely poisonous and even deadly. I learned very early in my teen years snorkelling, never to touch any marine life that is too colorful or beautiful.

Some Facts about The Portuguese Man O’ War
The Portuguese Man O' War lives at the surface of the ocean, with its bluish float above the water, serving as a sail, and the long tentacles (which grows to 150 feet) hanging below the surface. Technically, it is not a jellyfish and it is propelled by the wind, currents or the tide. The sting from the Man O’ War is extremely painful and sometimes fatal.
It is the favorite food of the leatherback turtle. The sting of the Man O’ War cannot penetrate the thick shell of the turtle.


It was at that time, I understood why God permitted the storm and bad weather when we were there. Had it not been for that, we surely would have gone swimming, and even surfing, and who knows what would have happened to us!
We have to trust God when He changes our plans.

"O Lord my God, you have done many miracles for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to an end of them." Psalm 40:5


“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28(NLT)