A Grand Adventure

Luke 11:41-42 “But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

If I close my eyes, I can hear the ocean. The crash of waves as they roll into the shore, the seagulls calling “mine, mine, mine”, the rush of wind over the dunes. I can smell the salty air, feel the sting of tiny grains of sand against my sunburned skin. The strange thing is that I am actually sitting at the beach. So why would I sit here with my eyes closed, dreaming of being at place that is the same but different?

I love the beach. Daytona, Myrtle Beach, Destin, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Key West. I can sit for hours, watching the tide roll in or out, seeing the sights, smelling the smells. I am up early to watch the sun come over the water, walking miles along the sand, picking up buckets of sea shells. I love the tacky tourist shops full of tshirts, sun tan lotion, and hermit crabs. The salt water taffy, hot dogs from a cart, and the sweet sticky melt in your mouth can’t be replicated circles of heavenly bliss from Britts Donuts in Carolina Beach, NC.

Next to oldest granddaughter wanted to have a “grand adventure” over the weekend. The beach was her chosen destination. Obligingly I packed up the camper and off we went. Upon arriving, we eagerly gathered up our chairs, books and sunscreen, rushing down the boardwalk to the beach. As we crested the dunes, I could feel my mind rebelling, words rushing up, disappointment starting to cover my thoughts. This wasn’t the beach of my dreams. It was brown and ugly, smelling of rotting seaweed and sulfur from the petroleum plants around us.

Just as I was about to utter my first complaint, I looked over at my sweet granddaughter. A big smile covered her face as she rushed to a smooth place on the sand. “Isn’t it wonderful grandma?” she said as she grabbed my hand. She twirled around, laughing at the seagulls as the swooped above our heads. Her happiness was contagious and I soon found myself chasing hermit crabs through the sand, shrieking as they tried to pinch our toes. I smiled as silly dog 1 and 2 raced in and out of the surf.

Later as we sat in the camper, freshly showered and relaxing with books and Chinese food, I realized that happiness is all about perspective. Yes the beach was dirty and smelly. Yes it wasn’t what I had grown up with. No it will never be what I want it to be. But….it was a beach. It had the ocean. It had the seagulls. It had the seashells and the salt water taffy and the laughter of children. (ok so it did not have Britt’s Donuts but nothing can be that perfect) When I let go of my selfish desires and allowed myself to see beyond the surface, I had an amazing, relaxing "grand adventure". 

Is our Christian life so often like my beach trip? We have a memory or we have read a book or we have visited a place. Now everything we do is measured by how we think life should be. Yet God has placed us in a different place. Maybe it is smelly, maybe it is dirty, maybe it is not what we always dreamed of. But it is where we are. Let that sink in for a moment. God means for us to be in this place at this moment for a purpose. Are we so concerned with the appearance of where we are that we miss out on God’s purpose for our destination? 

Dearest Father God, Thank You for once again showing me that You are there with me in my circumstance. Thank You for reminding me that everything and everyone is where it is for a purpose. Forgive me for not being able to always see what Your plans are. Help me surrender myself to You. Let me look past the details to the only thing worth being concerned about. Your Will for my life. Thank You for time with grandchildren and the joy they bring. Thank You for letting me see the beach through the eyes of someone who isn’t jaded by their past experiences. You are such an awesome God and I am forever Your grateful child. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

copyright2012 Michelle Welch, Breath of Life Women's Ministry
scripture from NLT translation
photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved