A co-worker told Richard that we had to see Hopewell Rocks while we were in New Brunswick. They are located in the Bay of Fundy, a funnel-shaped body of water. The gradual narrowing and shallowing of the water constricts the tidal flow into the bay causing the highest tides found anywhere in the world. Other places have an average high tide range of about 3 feet; the Bay of Fundy's is 52 feet at the head of the bay. Today, at Hopewell Rocks, the tidal range was 27 feet. Not being a surfer or oceanographer, this meant nothing to me until I saw it.
High tide today was at 10:50 this morning and we arrived shortly before that. The half mile walk out to the rocks was invigorating and we arrived just as the fog was lifting. Looking down on the rocks from the lookout point was... well frankly, like looking at the ocean from any other lookout point. The rocks were pretty and the water was rising- nothing very spectacular. We left the park to see some other sights and then returned for low tide at 5:20pm. Instead of just looking down from the lookout point, we walked down 96 steps to the ocean floor and WALKED ON THE FLOOR OF THE OCEAN! The water was gone... it was amazing!
The flow of ALL the rivers in the world doesn't equal the flow of water going into and out of the Bay of Fundy! The water by the two flowerpot rocks on the left was about 9 or 10 feet deep in the left picture, and has receded much more than that as you can tell from the right picture.
Standing under the rocks made me realize how insignificant I am in comparison to our mighty God who designed the earth, the oceans and the tides. As the park ranger told us, changing just one little thing completely changes the ecosystem and can destroy an entire species.
We went to Cape Enrage in between the tides. The lighthouse there is one of several we've seen on this trip but walking around this particular lighthouse, gazing at the rocks below and imagining the ferocious storms that give this place its name, made me think about God's grace. We experience storms- financial problems, relationship issues, mourning the loss of a loved one, ...- during our life but God's Word is our beacon, lighting our path and steering us away from the rocky shore and shifting sand just as the lighthouse is a beacon to ships warning of them of unsafe waters and guiding them around the rough water.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 199:105
Later in the evening as we were driving to Nova Scotia, we saw the most beautiful sunset I've seen in a long time. The sky turned light pink, then darkened and eventually turned bright orange-red. It looked like the sky was on fire... in fact, Richard said it reminded him of the old Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea movie (1961) where the sky is on fire.
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a wound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth; and their words to all the world." Psalm 19:1-4
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