A Day at the Beach...

For me, there is something so freeing about being at the beach. More specifically, the ocean. Whenever I've been on vacation or on a missions trip and find myself standing at the ocean's edge, I inevitably have this overwhelming feeling of coming home. Its a strange sensation, since I was born, raised and have spent my entire life in New York State. Why then, does this place where earth meets water beckon me? Why does it bring me such great peace as I stand with my toes in the water, eyes closed, sea air filling my senses? I believe it's the realization that there is so much in life bigger than I and I receive a fresh perspective on what I perceive to be the "big" things going on in my life. When I fully grasp the idea that God Himself created this vast ocean, all that lives in it and every grain of sand, I stand in reverent awe. This place is holy ground. Think about the fact that the ocean stretches on for miles and miles, and yet only is allowed to come so far onto land. That is the hand of our mighty Lord. He reminds me here that while my problems may seem large & overwhelming, He also has me well in hand. There is nothing too big or too small for Him to handle. As I sit at my computer in Amherst, NY, where the temperature hovers around the 40 degree mark, my body longs to be at the beach, breathing in the salt air, feeling the warm sun on my skin. He lovingly brings my memories back to that place, reminds me that He is with me wherever I am, and that despite my circumstances, every day can be a "day at the beach".