The Beach

Lincoln City, Oregon

My sisters and I eagerly headed out to the beach. No matter that we had been up since 2:00 o'clock that morning. It had been 19 years since I last saw the waters of the Pacific Ocean and I wasn't about to wait a minute longer!

My growing up years, Dad would often take us to Oregon to visit Grandpa and Grandma Kroeker. A visit to the beach was always a highlight of the trip. Upon arrival we would throw an old blanket out on the sand and spread out the picnic lunch that Grandma had prepared. I have no idea what we ate, only that it tasted differently when eaten in the ocean air. I was told that the first time I encountered the vast expanse of strange-looking sand, I was terrified and refused to even stick my toes in. This, of course, was at a very tender age, for I do not remember it. I can only imagine what I thought of the huge, crashing waves if the sand terrified me.

But this day, many years later was different. As soon as I hit the beach, off came the shoes. I wiggled my toes in the sand. I thought of the verses in Psalms 139:

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand." vs.17-18a.

I picked up a handful of sand and let it run through my fingers. Wow, I couldn't even count the grains in one handful! God must be thinking about me an awful lot!

And the water!! I couldn't wait to get in, even though I knew it would be ice-cold! And it was, but also very refreshing! How I delighted in the waves rolling in one after the other. They just kept coming and coming! If you kept your eyes turned seaward it was okay but as soon as you looked away another wave would catch you by surprise. Trying to run out of the water didn't work very well, especially if you were going against the tide. It was better to stand your ground and ride them out.

As I stood there I thought of the song "In Over My Head" that says:

"...I'm standing knee-deep but I'm out where I've never been

I feel you coming and I hear your voice on the wind,

Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put you in

Let love come teach me who you are again..."

And that is my prayer today...

For me.

For you.