In August, my family was blessed to spend five nights and four days at the ocean. My brother and sister-in-law were generous to give us their resort points for Myrtle Beach. The trip came at a time when we didn’t feel we could take it, but also at a time when we needed it most.
The summer months had flown by and there were many untended items left on our to-do list. The demands of fall were quickly approaching and the last thing we should have been doing was sitting on a beach! But four plane flights for the price of one were booked—we had to go!
We have always preferred the lush, shell-filled sands of the Gulf of Mexico over the firm, flat shore of the Atlantic Ocean. However, our time on the East Coast proved to be incredibly dear. Each day at dusk the water would recede, leaving a smooth glass top to walk on. There were no shells or sticks, no bugs or birds, just a warm mirror under our feet reflecting the blue-grey sky. It was stunningly special. We four would stroll with wonder, exploring little channels of water rippling here and there, creating multifaceted diamond currents. It was an unexpected calm in our chaos that we will never forget it.
While we were packing up to leave, our fourteen-year-old daughter sat on the porch of our condo. Children were playing in the pool with the vast ocean behind them. Sabrina was tearily taking in one last time this scene she’d grown to love. She was expressing all the feels each of us held inside. It was time to face reality, to return to the daily grind, and resume chipping away at unfinished tasks. Sigh. We encouraged her that it would be sadder to have never experienced this adventure in the first place.
I’d asked the Lord to give us some special moments together before we had to be at the airport that evening. We set out on a day of unknowns, but God was gracious to answer my prayer. We stumbled upon a bucket-list item of Sabrina’s that she’d heard of others doing: driving motorized stuffed animal scooters around a mall! Lord, You are hilarious.
The day concluded with sitting idly on the tarmac awaiting our plane’s co-pilot till after midnight, giving us time to socialize with the young man in the seat next to us. We ended up driving him to his new apartment in downtown Indianapolis at 3 AM. This was certainly a trip to remember!
You’re probably wondering where the spiritual application is. There is none. I only wish to express my gratitude to the Lord for this precious getaway which we didn’t feel we could take but which was what we needed most. We won’t ever forget it.
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