What Does the Sea Gull Teach Us?

“’And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to its kind. And God saw it was good” (Genesis 20-21).

Ouch! I was a teenager enjoying the Gulf of Mexico beach when a Portuguese Man O’ War decided I was too close for comfort. With half my body on a raft and legs dangling in the water, the Man O’ War, also known as “floating terror,” wrapped its tentacles around one of my legs and stung me multiple times. The pain was excruciating, but it was then that I developed a healthy respect for the Gulf of Mexico and the creatures that call it home.

This experience didn’t prevent me from returning to the beach. It was quite the opposite. Over the years, I have traveled to the Texas coast many times, simply to engage in quality time with God and admire his handiwork, even the Man O’ War.

Over the past week, I traveled nine hours to the waters that periodically beckon me. I spent time with a beloved sister in Christ in an elevated condo that gave us a panoramic view of the Gulf. Each morning and night we prayed and praised God for many things, with the sound of the waves crashing the shoreline. It was a reminder that we serve an awesome Creator and that the world he spoke into existence is complex and greater than we can put our minds around.

But sometimes we only need to zoom in on one of the created beings to know there is a Designer.

My favorite activity at the beach is to walk along the shoreline in the morning. It’s quiet at that time, provides great exercise plus it is a beautiful place to pray while drinking in the healing salt air.

As I was walking, I became fascinated with the Sea Gull, one small creature in a myriad of creatures that populate the Earth. I noticed their long beaks, perfect for hunting for food, I thought. For the first time, I paid attention to their webbed feet, much needed when you hang out at the ocean. And after research, I discovered:

• Seagulls are intelligent birds. They use breadcrumbs to attract fish and produce rain-like sound with their feet to call out the earthworms hidden under the ground.
• Seagulls live in colonies that consist of a few pairs of birds or a couple of thousand birds.
• Seagulls use a wide repertoire of sounds and body language for communication.
• Seagulls are monogamous creatures. They mate for a lifetime.
• Couples collect plant material and build nests together.
• Seagulls survive 10-15 years.

Then I wondered, How can there be atheists in the world? Have they ever studied the Seagull?

For me, one creature is enough to know God exists.

When I zoom out and place that one creature, the Seagull, into all of creation, I humbly take my rightful place as a dot on the map of the world.

And I am thankful that even though I am one of millions of created beings, God cares enough to have a relationship with me, as he does you. He hears our prayers and reminds of who he is through his Word and his creation. Just like he knows each Seagull by name, he has our names engraved on his hand.

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:4)

Yes, I have a healthy respect for the waters of the beach but when I travel to the Gulf Coast, I am also reminded of the awesome Creator who designed a world of such complexity that it is difficult to comprehend. If you have trouble wrapping your arms around it, just look at the Seagull. It could be enough.