Vacationing at the Beach

The day after returning from Colorado, I went to North Carolina and spent time at the beach with family and friends.  I have loved trips to the beach ever since I was a little girl.  Splashing in the waves and napping under the sun will never get old.  Each time that I find myself sitting on the shore, I am captivated by the beauty of what lies in front of me.  This feeling of amazement builds from one viewing to another.  No longer is the ocean just something that I enjoy, but it is something that holds a great mystery.  I don't understand the movement of the water or the rhythm of the waves.  I will never see most of the creatures that call the ocean home.  Yet, I know the one who created it all. 

I can stand at the edge of the water for hours and think about God and nature.  He creates such beautiful things, and I have the privilege of experiencing a portion of it.  Some people will never experience the ocean and some who do prefer to stay far away from it.  I find it hard to put myself in their shoes because I love the sense I get about the beach that there is so much more to be known than meets the eye.  There is a story behind every grain of sand and each shell washed up on the shore.  I will never know these stories, but it fascinates me to think they all exist.  Maybe I'm going a bit too deep here, but these are simply my thoughts.  The sun illuminates a million things at this wonderful place called the beach, and at the same time it lights up a part of my imagination that normally stays dark.

Speaking of the dark, I also love what happens at the beach when the sun goes down.  One of the most interesting things about nature is that it completely changes at night, and the beach is no different.  I've spent many evenings hunting for crabs in the sand with my family.  We don't always find any, but when we do someone is guaranteed to let out a scream as a crab crawls over their bare feet.  These are some of the cherished moments that God has given me.  Days at the beach with my family will always be in my memory as some of the greatest times spent with them.  

From the mountains to the beach, God knows how to touch my heart.  He can always bring a smile to my face, and He did so multiple times as I stared out at the ocean.  All I have left to say is this: God is good.