I have constantly been reminded that the beauty of God's creation can be
seen wherever you go, and San Sebastian Spain was yet
another example of just that. Unfortunately, the words I will write here,
and the pictures that I promise will be up soon, will never be able to fully
describe what I experienced on this trip. Nevertheless, I will try.
This past weekend, I drove down to Spain with a group of three other
American students, and four French students. We made our way down to a
town called San Sebastian, just past the border
of France,
and right off the west coast. The town is built around one of the most
beautiful bays I have ever had the privilege to experience. I use the
word experience, simply because using one sense, such as sight, to describe
this place would never do it justice. In this bay, I could see a
single island perfectly placed directly in the middle, a breathtaking statue of
Jesus Christ erected at the top of the mountain closing up the right side, and
young soccer players finishing up a game before the tide came in. I could
hear the rhythm of the waves as they came rolling in, and the bird calls
of pigeon and seagull living peacefully together in such a wondrous
place. I could smell the salt as it was splashed up into the air
during high tide. I could feel the odd combination of a cold
breeze and warm sun making the hairs on my arms question whether or not they
should stand up or stay down. And I could taste the body and blood
of Christ place on my tongue as I took in everything He had given me through
such a wonderful sacrifice.
It took a little while making it to our hostel. Believe it or not, two
different ethnic groups both traveling together in a foreign country makes for
an interesting experience. But with the combination of very
friendly...elderly citizens? and the Spanish speaking skills of our good friend
Ashton, we managed to navigate our way through the old allies of the town, by
foot, to a huge center square filled with people and bars lining the
edges. We didn't stay long until we had to park the cars on the other
side of the bay...and then walk back, but it turned out great. We had
packed our lunches earlier that day and ate them on the beach. Then proceeded
to act like little kids and play in the water. A storm began to roll in
shortly after, so we ended up taking shelter under a playground that we had
been playing on...again that whole little kid thing. Luckily it didn't
last long, and we emerged from our hiding place and went back to the hostel.
For dinner, I was able to experience tapas for dinner. I didn't know
this, but tapas are just a bunch of appetizers that you pick from and then pay
when you've finished. It kind of just runs on the honors system.
Though it wasn't exactly the most filling dinner I have ever had, it was
definitely one of the best.
The next day was filled mostly with shopping and what not, but in the middle
of the day, I had the chance to go with my fellow French students on a little
mini hike to the top of this small mountain that had the awesome sculpture of
Christ at the top. It took about half an hour of climbing up a path, and
through very small stairwells from an old fortress, to get to the top.
Again, my words will fail to describe what I saw, but wow. At the top of
this mountain, there sat an old fortress with cannons still standing, and after
walking through it, we got to the foot of this statue. Looking outward,
we could see the entire city of San
Sebastian, and then every rolling hill and mountain
surrounding the area. It was incredible. Some hilltops reached as
far as 30km. Yes I am using km, I am soooooo Euro. But honestly, I
could barely comprehend the fact that what I was looking at was not some
painting or picture that had been created by a fellow human. This was
truly the piece of art that this almighty and beautiful God created to
demonstrate His own glory. Can you imagine what I saw? Then turning
around and looking up, I could see the creator standing tall and looking over
what He had done. And yet, in the midst of it all, humility remains in
His heart. Absolutely incredible.
Later in the day, when the rest of the group was shopping/napping, I got a
little restless and made my way back to the hostel. Half way back,
however, I realized that I had forgotten my keys. Now I could have buzzed
the bell and attempted to explain my situation in either English, or really
really bad Spanish, but I decided against it. You see, it had started to
rain, so everyone in the square had made their way under the shelter of the
overhang along the edges, so I propped myself against a pillar, and
watched. I couldn't believe the timing I had. Shortly after, a
Spanish band began to play across the square, and countless little children,
with their young moms and dads, began dancing and singing all around me.
Over and over, a little kid would run out into the rain to splash in a puddle,
and over and over again, the parent would have to run out after them (mom when
you read this, I know you'll be thinking of me). But the most amazing
part of this was that the parents never got frustrated, and the kids never
cried. They all just smiled, laughed, sang and danced. It was
incredible. Then the rain let up, and everyone, holding hands, made a dance
line and wormed their way into the center of the square where there was more
dancing and singing. For about 1 1/2 hours, I just stood there. I
watched, laughed, and loved absolutely everything about my life. Their
joy was the most contagious thing I have ever experienced.
The next day, I ventured back out to the bay by myself to say goodbye to a
place that had filled me so abundantly with the Spirit. I brought my
bible and my prayers, and stood at the gate looking over the beach and the
bay. The soccer games hadn't started yet, and the little children hadn't begun
to line the sidewalks, filling the air with innocence and laughter, but I knew
it would happen, and so did this bay. Ever weekend, I'm sure, early in
the morning, the shores of the bay in San Sebastian quietly waits to be filled
with life and love from those living within it. Everywhere I go, I can
feel God's presence, but I'm pretty sure what God gave me in Spain will last
forever.
If there is ever a time, my friends and family, that you get a chance to
visit Europe, I recommend you make your way to the bay of San Sebastian.
