I’m at the beach. I won’t tell you which one because I don’t want you to find it. I don’t want you to find me. I am alone. Totally alone. I have been here for quite a while and haven’t seen a soul or even a chair in the sand holding a place for someones’ return. No one is here. I don’t see a person at a distance, I don’t see a boat on the horizon. Nothing man-made to note. A railing or two and a concrete retaining wall, but other than that, God gets the credit for making all of this. The white long legged birds on the shoreline, the gorgeous creatures soaring above, the gentle waves lapping in, all His.
There is no reminder of the hustle and bustle that this morning brings to the world. No advertisements bombarding me to better my life, no political campaign signs that assure me the candidate will provide me with a safer future, no to-do lists, no agenda, just creation at its’ finest. Quiet. Still. Rhythmic.
Where did all these beautiful seashells come from? Who had time to ship in a new supply for me this morning? I picked all the pretty ones up yesterday and yet today, there are more. This shore never seems to run out. Just as His mercies are new every morning so are his shells, so are His promises, so are His provisions. Just when you think you’ve exhausted all the blessings He can give you, you wake to a new day full of the promise of more.
This morning over tea, I asked my father in law the question from my Question of the Day journal. “What is the most honest thing you’ve said this morning?” His answer amused me and yet made me think. He said, “Good Morning.” Indeed it is an honest answer. It is morning and it is good. Thanks to the One who gives it to me each day.
As I sit here….alone…with my thoughts and the waves, I pray that you too, can find a quiet moment in nature, praising Him and all He has created. He made it for you.
Good Morning!
(Kaylee getting Kayli Robinson’s autograph.)
A few weeks ago, I attended 3 meetings for church. Now, it is rare that I would have 3 meetings in one week, but it did make me think. I, and many others, spent 4.5 hours in meetings discussing the best ways to do the Lord’s work. I had to drive to and from the meetings, so that’s another 20 minutes gone. (Good thing I live close!) I had to prepare for the meeting, grab a pen, a notebook, a bottle of water, put on my shoes, brush my teeth, another 30 minutes? That’s at least 320 minutes devoted to attending meetings in a single week. So, it made me wonder if that time was well spent. It was definitely necessary. I have a commitment to committees and there is church business that needs to be addressed. There was good discussion and we did accomplish some things, so it wasn’t a waste of time by any means, but was it time well spent? Could that time have been better spent visiting a sick person in the hospital? Could I have read to my child? Could I have phoned an elderly relative? Could I have volunteered at a soup kitchen? I’m sure there is a lot I could’ve done. I wonder, what changes would our church see if everyone who had attended those meetings had spent that much time reading their Bible that week? What if we had spent 5 + hours in prayer? We will never know because I did indeed spend that time in meetings, but I do hope in the future to be more aware. Sometimes the meeting needs me…and sometimes the meeting needs me to be praying. I’m certain that God can accomplish much more than I can anyway!
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