There is something amazing about the sun, sand and the water. The salt in the air. The birds pecking around for bread or crackers (certainly no Alka-Seltzer!!!). Life is just a little less stressful. It’s the time to put technology away and just enjoy one another. Play board games or roll around in the sand. Pretend you are being chased by the waves or just laugh as you build a sand castle and see a much younger you in the eyes of your children. Yep…there is something about the beach.
Well, that is where my family is headed right now. Yep, they are all headed down to relax in the sun. Enjoy good beach food, get sand in their shorts and get a little more tan (or at least more freckles). For two of our kids (the youngest two) this will be their first foray into the beach scene. The last time our eldest went, she was nearly one year old…so now that she is nearly five, it is pretty safe to say that it has been a long time.
The last time I was able to go was when Lovely and I went down to the beach about 20 months ago for a little three day Christmas trip thanks to my in-laws. It was a wonderful Christmas present and one that I will not soon forget. I remember that Lovely was approaching the half way point of pregnancy with Hosie. It was a meager trip since I had just been laid off from a job, but we enjoyed conversation, laughing, reflecting, and anticipation of what was to come. The trip also came with a little heartache. We usually take a trip to the beach to remember our two children who passed away. We just spend some time on the beach to pray and thank God for their little lives. Pray over our children that we have here and express our longing to all be together again. Again, just a time of remembrance. We wiped our tears and said our goodbyes until the next time. This time…
Well, this time I am unable to go…this saddens me a great deal. But I know that God is faithful. So I sit at my cubical and daydream of the perfect sunset. A low tide and the sun reflecting across the rippling waters. The seagulls singing and the sounds of live music in the distance. I’ll imagine the sand between my toes, the wind in my…uh, beard, and the warmth of the setting sun on my sun-kissed face. And I will say my prayers, weep with my Lovely (though miles apart) and remember those little ones that God gave only a brief life to here on earth, but holds them in His mighty right hand. I will thank God that He answers prayers and that His will is for our future. I’ll then take a long walk in my mind’s eye down the beachfront and look forward to God’s plan and the future. Breathe in the fresh ocean air and drift away and imagine building sand castles and playing in the water. Enjoying my family in the rest and relaxation that I desire to enjoy.
Until next time… Hug the ones you love for we are not promised tomorrow.
MTP
Prodigal Thinker 