From the Mediterranean Sea to the South China Sea to the Irish Sea, the majority of my ancestors lived by the water. I have always identified with coastlines, and as a lifelong East Coaster, I have always felt like my nearness to water drew me near to those who have come before me.
It’s easy to feel distant. As a person of mixed-race, I don’t like to think about meeting my ancestors. It’s not that I don’t want to know who I came from, but I can’t imagine what they’d think of me. Would I look alien to them?
These thoughts are fruitless at best, harmful at worst. They imply that familiar is inherently better, and they underplay the stark beauty of change, of growth, and of new life.
The water provides a better framework. Instead of reminding me of the distance from my predecessors, the water symbolizes our proximity, our sameness. It is common to us all.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Mediterranean. From the coastline of Cassis, France, I fell in love with the dynamic blue and green of the water — in such contrast to the flat, nearly grey Atlantic next to which I grew up. And as I walked into the water, I relished in the idea that my Italian ancestors had touched the same sea. A little over a century ago, my great-grandparents would leave the port of Elena, Italy, and arrive in Boston, MA — my home.
I cannot count how many family members had to cross oceans for me to exist. My own father flew across the world for me, and almost every generation up of my family had members immigrating to the U.S. for as far back as I know. The more my mother researches, the more immigrants we find. None of them knew they were in part coming for me, but here I am: the unexpected, the future, the now.
This is God’s heart for me. I am worth centuries of crossing oceans. I am worth every surprise to my ancestors. I am worth God’s love throughout generations.
God has been in the business of crossing waters for much longer than I can trace back my lineage. I remember that, in a body of water not too far from the Mediterranean, He parted the Jordan River for the Israelites to cross into the Promised Land (Joshua 3). What seemed like insurmountable distance was nothing for God’s mighty hand. In the same way, He brought my people across waters, across earth, in a show of great faithfulness and intention. All the while, I was on His mind.
It’s easy to feel distant from the past, but God has gone the distance with me. In every single journey, past, present, and future, He has remembered me. He has looked forward to me. He has made extravagant plans for me. There hasn’t been a moment that the Lord has forgotten me, and there never will be.
This is my prayer for you. I pray that as you read this, and for every moment of your life going forward, that you would feel close to the heart of God, that you would feel like He has gone the distance with you and that He will never leave you. You are worth crossing oceans for.
It doesn’t matter what my ancestors would’ve thought of me — not in comparison to what God thinks of me and how He’s loved me generations before I was born. He has accepted me into His family. Now when I look out into the waters, I still think of my ancestors and how they crossed seas for me, but I also think about how the same God who made the seas and who crossed them with my ancestors, now anchors me.
Leave a Comment
Ruth Mills says
Amen! What a great picture of God’s heart especially in this Advent season! Bless you!
Michelle Chin says
Thank you so much and bless you too!
Deborah says
What a revelation!!
Thank you for that Michelle!
Michelle Chin says
My pleasure! Thank you! Be blessed. 🙂
Nida says
Thank you that touched the heart!
Michelle Chin says
So glad! Thank you! 🙂
Sharon A says
That was beautiful and you were made in His image!! What a beautiful thought. Thanks for the reminder He will never leave us or forsake us.
Michelle Chin says
Thank you! Amen 🙂
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
Thank you Michelle for sharing your heart. If God is for us who can for sake us. No one. No matter how difficult the thing in our life is cross. ( The health need Money problems loss of Job etc) God will make away were there seems no way. Like that reminds me of song by “Don Moen God will make away were there seems no way” You get it on YouTube Like he for the people in Moses day. He made the waters depart. They were able to cross over safety to the other side. If God can do that for them he can do the same for us. With what ever we are going through. He will help us make it to other side. After it all over the worrying and sweating over it. We can look back say God hand was in this. He helped me to the other side safety. Through his Holy Spirit he told me what to do. To get there safely. I seen God help me safely to other side many a time. At the time I said God why me? God has blessed me so much. Taking me through my seizures. To know they were to do my periods being so heavy. That caused my hormones to go up the left. That I go into a seizures. Then I had Hysterectomy to stop them. God took me through the seizures and the operation. I come through knowing God hand was with me in it all. God took me to the other side safely. Now since my operation I am seizure free. But at the time I couldn’t see God hand in it. I had to learn to trust God. God was with me the whole time. Thank you for sharing your heart Michelle. Keeping you all incourage in my prayers. Thank you for what I learn from you all. Through it I can grow closer to God. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx
Michelle Chin says
Thanks for sharing, Dawn! So true. God’s with us no matter what.
Beth Williams says
Michelle,
My favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you & not for harm. To give you a hope & a future.” When trials come & they will we can rest assured that God’s mighty hand will reach out& grab hold of us. There is no distance/chasm that is to big or wide for God not to reach down & pull you up.
Blessings 🙂
Michelle Chin says
Thanks for sharing this! Amen and blessings 🙂
Denise Singer says
That was so beautiful Michelle!
Michelle Chin says
Thank you, Mrs. Singer! 🙂
Diane says
Beautiful idea beautifully expressed. Love you, girl!
Michelle Chin says
Thanks so much 🙂 You too!
Joey says
The aspect is so cool!
Encouraged a lot!
Michelle Chin says
So glad to hear, Joey! 🙂