Wrapped
I went to the beach for my annual vacation. I love the beach and each year ask God to renew my spirit. The weather was perfect and while I was there we had a full moon. The reflection dancing on the waves…the higher than usual tide… I just love everything about the beach. Except the sand on the floors!
Maybe you know that each year I ask the Lord for a special something during my beach week. One year as I prepared to go to Angola Prison God gave me a message about the beauty of broken shells – I shared that with you all. How I applied that to broken lives – the beauty revealed in brokeness…
This year, it wasn’t a specific request but I knew I needed to hear from Him in a special way. I have had such a busy Spring and I just wanted a touch from Him – I was so weary.
As is my custom, I walked the beach early each morning with my iPod of praise music. About half way into my vacation I decided to leave the iPod at home. I wanted quiet so that I could hear Him but also not be distracted from my own heart’s praise. I am easily distracted and go down so many diferent rabbit trails.
The last morning I got up before dawn (and this time of year that is about 6:30 AM). It was quite dark but I got up and found my way to the beach by the light of the moon. It was almost like daylight. No one else was out. I began my treck down the beach knowing that when I turned around I would be facing the sunrise. My footprints were the only ones.
As always my eyes scanned the sand for shells. This year I hadn’t found anything new and really did not have hopes to find anything. I found some baby’s ears, sea urchins, slipper shells, always the clam shells…As I looked down the beach and saw several patches of shells deposited on the beach by the overnight waves, my thought was ,”Oh no! I have to look at all those. I am in a huury to pack and get going!” (can you imagine?!) But that morning as the sun came up and I searched the sand I found 4 perfect unbroken sea urchins and a perfect little welk. Usually I find broken pieces of welks. Such beauty even in their brokenness. And then I found a perfect tiny auger! I had never found one before. God gave me something new!
Not sure where God is going with that but I feel He has something new for me – for all of us as we follow Him.
As I turned to go back to the cottage, the sun was rising but in the West the moon was setting. I felt wrapped in His care and mercy – East and West.
“All things are yours…any ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s”. (I Corintihans 3:21)