Resident tourists
What a weekend! We had my family in town and my partner’s family. We even had to rent a bigger car just to be able to spend time together as we drove (and drove, and drove) to all of the “touristy” destinations in our area!! It seems like we went non-stop.
We went by the pier –
We saw a huge starfish (you’ve gotta look closely… )
We visited the infamous Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach…
We went to the beach…
We had a bbq, we drove by old neighborhoods, we went for scenic drives down Worth Ave in Palm Beach (window shopping only, of course)
We did all things tourist. Things that we don’t get too excited about here (sans beach and pier) but to non-Floridian folk, it seems to be a thrill.
My FAVORITE part… besides the company, of course… was definitely seeing the sunrise at the beach. It was the most peaceful time of my long weekend. The crashing of the waves, the salty air, the feel of the ocean breeze blowing through your hair… magical moments filled with pure calmness. We collected seashells and watched the sun peek over the horizon… I felt the presence of God so strongly with us on the beach that morning.
The sunrise is always a beautiful reminder. It reminds us that each day is a new day and a fresh opportunity. It reminds us that, despite all of the ugliness in the world, there is a still beauty. It reminds us that the simple sound of the ocean waves can drown out any other noise in the world. It reminds us that we are not as big as we think we are — that there is something much, much mightier than us. It reminds us that all of the hurt, tiredness, pain, sadness, negativity from yesterday has been washed away.
Most importantly, it reminds us that we all need a moment to BE STILL … and Listen. We cannot always hear God when we have too many distractions around us and even though the sounds of the ocean can fill your ears, it is amazing what you may hear. It is only in these moments that you can truly “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7 (ESV).
And then I started thinking… why is it that we don’t do this more often? After all, we are not tourists (though we play really good ones)… we LIVE here. We let our lives get so busy all of the time. If we can make time to get 100’s of things accomplished each week, why cant we take an hour on a weekend morning to come to the beach, plop in the sand and watch God’s magic unfold?
God knows when you are waiting for him. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV). Make sure you find your favorite quiet spot this week.
