What the Ocean Taught Me
We just returned from a 10 day vacation to Georgia and Florida with my husbands family. I can't even describe what a blessing it was. The past 5 years have been so full and rocky and unstable...we've moved multiple times, across the country and are finally settled (I hope) - but boy oh boy, did we need a vacation!!!
Because we hadn't had a vacation in so long, it took me a while to "come down" off of real life and be able to truly relax. It felt like I had forgotten how to relax. We live in such a busy, noisy world, it felt odd to have some quiet down time. I noticed that I never even used my headphones for music, I just sat and listened to the ocean all day, every day.
The waves brought me back to the rhythm of this world.
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Here is one of the great lessons the Ocean and the Holy Spirit taught me this week...
One of my favorite things to do at the beach is hunt for seashells. I just love it! So I decided to take a walk along the beach alone. As I wandered down the coastline looking for shells, waves crashing at my feet I asked the Holy Creative Spirit to teach me something...show me something I need to know. This is a regular practice for me to just invite the Spirit into my consciousness because it opens my heart and my eyes to the world around me.
For a while, nothing came. I continued to walk but then I noticed I wasn't enjoying myself. I was feeling frustrated because I wasn't finding any shells and the waves kept knocking me off balance.
Then, I felt the Spirit say..........Look Up!
As I lifted my eyes beyond my feet, I saw the beauty that was in front of me and I heard the word "Trust". (which has been a recurring word lately)
I realized that this is what I do in life...I focus on my "feet". I focus on the frustrations and situations that are right in front of me and I get overwhelmed or angry instead of lifting my eyes further and Trusting God, Trusting the Journey, Trusting Life.
When I looked down the coastline and saw the beautiful blue sky and the waves coming and going constantly in motion, I realized that was a metaphor for my life.
"Waves" are going to come and go. Good times come and go. Hard times come and go.
But if I can lift my eyes and realize that I've got this whole life ahead of me and learn to Trust the constant motion, I will be able to see and live into the Beauty of my journey, rather than be stuck looking at my feet and miss what I'm meant for.
We are ALL fearfully and wonderfully made. We have a purpose. We are loved.
My prayer for myself and for you is that we can learn to
See Beyond Our Feet,
to
Trust That God Is With Us In The Constant Motion,
and to
Flow With The Waves Of Life Instead of Fight Against Them.