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by Siendy Salazar

"How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures."

Psalm 104:24

Vivid blue waters, stunning rock formations, white beaches and diverse marine life… Thank you Lord for making the world so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is indeed marvelous. Astonished and consumed, I was captured by the beauty of the Thai islands of Krabi and Phuket when I went visited there this May 2010.

Devastated by tsunami in 2004 – This was pretty much what I knew about Krabi. Furthermore, a few weeks before I left, I learned that Bangkok was going through some domestic turmoil. With the little information I had of Thailand prior to my visit, I entered Krabi with both skepticism and wonder. I was both curious and clueless. Little did I know that this vacation was going to be God’s way of showing me the wonders of His works.

Not being much of a nature lover, I always associate nature trips with discomfort and inconvenience. All I can think of when immersed in nature is getting sunburn and sweating all over. Honestly, I know I’d choose hours of strolling inside an air-conditioned mall rather than spending a day on the beach under the heat of the sun. Although a vacation on an island does not appeal to me that much, I agreed to come to Thailand with some of my friends because we aim to visit at least one new place a year while we are still single. Despite what was happening in Bangkok, we pushed through with our trip since we had already planned for this earlier on and everything was already settled.

I went on the trip with few expectations. Our trip to Krabi terminal, where we took the ferry ride to Phi Phi Island, was not that impressive. The view was not scenic at all. The landscapes we saw were ordinary, nothing we can’t see in the provinces back home. Supposedly known for magnificent temples, I was disappointed to see ordinary architectures in Krabi. However, as soon as we stepped off the ferry at Phi Phi, my point of view changed.

Words cannot describe how beautiful these Islands are! If you someday have the chance to see them yourself, you’ll understand why I say it’s indescribable. I have never seen such beautiful creation. The place indeed captivated me! I was filled with much more awe here than when we went island hopping to Loh Sama, Pi Leh, Ton Sai, and Maya Beach. I never imagined myself enjoying nature this much! The place was a paradise!

Thailand is just a small part of Asia and Krabi is but a small fraction of it. Phi Phi and Maya Islands are just small fragments of the province of Krabi. These small islands may look insignificant but what I experienced there made me realize that God, in His majesty, makes everything wonderful in His own special way.

As I marveled at His creation, I had one important realization. Just like these small islands which were once destroyed by tsunami, He can restore us no matter how great or small our flaws may be. No matter what our disposition is, no matter how we look like from the outside and no matter what our circumstances in life are, "He has made everything beautiful in His time" (Eccl. 3:11). If God can reveal His power and beauty through creation, how much more to human beings like us who are made according to His likeness? This has me convinced why we, His workmanship, are said to be created to bring Him glory. As we stand in awe of His creation, we bring Him praise for what He has done.

 

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