- We had made the decision to drive through the night in our quest for vacation splendor. Traveling by night makes for easy travel in regards to traffic, but dangerous in regards to other sleepy drivers you encounter or dodging the plethora of deer who choose to graze on the shoulder of the highway (I seriously saw at least 40). After working a twelve hour shift at the hospital, then driving over seven hours on just a one hour cat nap, I was beyond exhausted when we arrived at our seaside destination at 4:30 this morning. The sound of the surf, and the smell of the salty air made it seem worth it, even if it was still too dark to go see the ocean (I considered going anyway, but one little 10 month old kept me from making the twilight trek). After settling into our rooms, we all fell asleep quite easily and soundly. As I got up from the chair at 5:15 this early morning to lay down the sleeping baby and then myself, I could hear the initial stirring of other family upstairs.
- The baby woke three hours later, unable to sleep through the excited stirring of children outside our room. It was just as well, and I got up easily enough, for I too was excited to see the ocean blue. The balcony called to me, and even before the coffee maker, I made its worn deck my first stop. My breath was taken from me as I stood elevated above the expanse of the sea before me. It was perfect in every way, the waves mesmerizing in their rhythmic motion. The sun glinted off the water and sparkled like a million diamonds just beyond my reach. I looked as far as my eye could see, but saw no end to the turquoise water. I began to cry silently, tears coursing down my face, nearly as salty as the rushing waves in front of me. With my baby daughter in one arm, I grabbed my three year old with the other. I pulled her close, and then pointed to the horizon. “Do you see?” I asked her. “Can you see where the ocean ends? You cannot. That is God’s love for us. Endless. Stretching mightily beyond what we can even see.”
- My body was weary today. It was a wonderful day, but I still felt my fatigue. My body’s reserves had reached their limit, and I came to a point in the late afternoon, as the baby finally succumbed to a nap, where I realized I needed rest. I had no more in me. I decided to lay in a lawn chair by the water’s edge to nap. There was a cool breeze that late in the day, but the sun warmed me, and the surf’s sound lulled me. I could feel His presence. Unlike my body, He is limitless. Like the ocean horizon I viewed, His love is endless. It goes on and on, pouring out for His people in all times, and especially in times of need. As a young woman confronted with the ability for human relationships to fall short or cease, I was very aware of the vastness and unconditional character of His love. I had experienced an earthly father withdraw his love from me, and also the cessation of spousal love from my first husband, but God is the lover of the rejected. He picks the broken-hearted from their ashes and gives them a crown. How great is His love. I was reminded today of its infinity and felt its weight upon me magnificently.
That is all 🙂