Through a Spiritual Lens March 12, 2012 Issue

Pelicans at Pebble Beach

Gale Wrausmann—Carmel, California

Pelicans. © Gale Wrausmann

One afternoon while playing in the California state amateur golf tournament at Pebble Beach, I found that my golf ball was deeply buried in a sand trap near the green. It seemed impossible to hit it out of the trap, let alone land it on the putting surface. As I addressed the ball and looked up toward the pin, on the ocean side of the green I saw a group of pelicans patterning the form of a wave in absolute precision. I consciously acknowledged and appreciated their precision, sensing their easy flow as they conformed to the shape of the wave. Then I took my swing and hit the ball, which finished one inch from the cup. Without that encounter with the pelicans, I doubt that I would have pulled that shot off. Whether I’m playing golf or taking photographs, the inspiration I find interacting with nature never ends—a little like those mentioned by Mary Baker Eddy who look up, “. . . waiting on God, and committing their way unto Him who tosses earth’s mass of wonders into their hands” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 331).

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

Healed of injuries after a fall