As Deep Calls to Deep

<sup>Sometimes it feels like God forgets you.  Sometimes.  And then, He reminds you, in the most intimate, undeniable, strong and tender way that, in fact, he hasn't.  And more than that, His touch restores your hope and reassures you that not only has He not forgotten you, but He has been working, and is still working in your life to bring all things together for good.

God did that for me this weekend...He reminded me, yet again, that He's not forgotten me. 

Greg and I drove 16 hours one-way in order to visit Iguazu Falls which lies (or should I say roars) on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  Greg found the most beautiful hotel for us to spend our first night there - in the heart of the jungle rainforest next to the Falls.  We arrived after the parks on both sides of the border had closed, so I had to wait to behold this wonder.</sup>


Our hotel room at the "Loi Hotel" in Iguazu Park



The buildings at the hotel were connected by suspension bridges - fun!



We loved that they simply built AROUND all of the trees!



The series of infinity pools (more to the left) were the perfect end to a long day of travel.


^{But I wasn't disappointed.  Our day started off with a speedboat ride into the falls!  We were drenched and remained that way the rest of the day.  The falls were so huge, and being at flood stage due to recent rains, the air was filled with mist, not to mention constant spray from the falls.  We walked along paths next to the falls enjoying the scenery and taking lots of photos.  But one of the highlights of the day came when we walked along a boardwalk across the delta to behold "La garganta do diablo" - or, "The Devil's Throat."  This is the horseshoe shaped part of the falls and thus resembles a huge throat.  You feel the spray from far off as you approach, and at times, you can barely see for the heavy rain-like drenching once you arrive at the edge.  But the sight...is breathtaking.  A wall of water encircling the area right in front of you plummets to depths you can't even perceive while the mist clouds from the impact of the water at the bottom wells up continually towards the top.  It was too much to process (and I'm sure if this was located in the States, they wouldn't let you get near that close!)} 

Walking towards "La Garganta" - you can see the mist cloud to Greg's left

 

Standing at the edge of "La Garganta"



Soaking wet at "La Garganta"

 

"La Garganta" - the sound was amazing, the view was unreal

^{All I could think in that moment of fear and awe was, "As deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls..."  It didn't matter that we were at the Devil's Throat because all I could hear was God speaking His love for me - his profound, terrifying, unstoppable, relentless, overwhelming love...for me.  I copied the verse in context below (Psalm 42:1-8) - it's amazing how God knows the human heart so well and knew the encouragement we would need and then reaches into our time and space to make His word alive and life-giving to us: 
1} As the deer pants for streams of water,
   so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
   When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
   as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
   under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
   among the festive throng.
 ⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.
 ⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
   in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
   have swept over me.
 ⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
   at night his song is with me—
   a prayer to the God of my life.

<sup>Lately, I've been brutally honest with God.  In my weak, emotional moments, I've told Him how I feel disappointed and let-down by Him, as if I can hear people saying, "You keep trusting God and professing His Word and His faithfulness, but He hasn't come through for you yet.   Where is your God?" 

But I know He hasn't let me down.  He is directing His  love to me by day and singing His song over me at night...His deep continues to call to my deep.  

If you're afraid of the water, you'll never see the beauty and strength of the Falls.  And if you're afraid of trusting, you'll never know the depths of what God has for you.  He's given me all I need for life and godliness in His Word, but I have to get it, take hold of it, and constantly set my mind on it.  Then I have His peace that passes understanding.  And that's the key - because it's my finite, limited understanding that makes me fear, makes me doubt.

There are plants and grasses that grow in the water at the top of the falls, right where the churning water  hurtles over the edge.  There's no way they could withstand the force and strength of that water without being deeply rooted.  When we know God's Word and His promises - and when we live by that knowledge - we have the deep roots we need to stand in God's terrifying, comforting waterfall of love and to trust Him...completely. 

The human side of faith feels scary, but I'd rather approach and get drenched than stay on the shore.  It's what happens when His deep calls out to your deep and says, "I love you.  Trust me," and you respond.</sup>

Our speedboat ride into the falls, or I should say, under the falls

We rode under the falls in the background

Some of the grasses growing in the rushing water at the edge of one of the falls

Standing at one of the many overlooks

Standing on the "Brazil - side" of one section of the Falls