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“The waves of the sea
Help me get back to me.”
There is a need sometimes to "run away" in me. Not a "I'm mad-sad-discontent" type of running away. The get up and go, adventuresome, wonder what awaits type of "away."
I get it about once a week.
I'm mostly at home. And I like that fine. But then I must get out. I don't always have a car to go in, but this week Robert said I'd have the suburban on Wednesday and knowing that would be my only day to "run away" I decided to pick the very best place to run away to.
The beach of course.
I took out early, or early as I could and we were there by 10:30am. With only AC in the front seat of the car, the back of the car is pretty much horrid to ride in after the real heat of the day sets in. By leaving out in the early morning, the car didn't get hot until we were almost there so the children were happy all the way down.
We loaded out at the grocery store and picked up food for a picnic. Mostly fresh fruit like berries because that's what I like to eat at the beach. I prefer strawberries and blue berries. And it seems all the children have taken to my liking just fine.
It was absolutely the best day I've had at "our" little beach. There was no seaweed, no trash - it was actually all cleaned up, unlike the rest of the year down there. The heat index up at home was to be 110 degrees. I thought it might be too hot even at the waters edge. But it wasn't. It was perfect weather. Just wonderful! A light continual breeze and the WATER felt awesome!
How do I know? Because I actually was able to get in the water this time~
At 2pm Brighton curled up in the wagon and I made a towel tent over it and she slept for two hours. Lakelyn did the same, at the same time - go figure, how nice...
And so I ran out, yes ran, like a child - and played in the waves with the "older" children. Laid down in the water, got all sandy and even a bit sunburned.
We made sand castles and collected itty tiny shells that when the water goes back they crawl down into the sand and bury themselves, just to reappear again when the water returns.
I pulled the middle children in the wagon back and forth in the surf. I laughed. They laughed more.
Yes, running away can be very good for the soul. Especially to find myself again out from under all the laundry and dishes and . . . well, no - I was going to write diapers next, but those came with me.
It wasn't a crowded day. The nearest people were about 300 yards or more. I set up a nice little "camp" for my crew and we stayed until 7:30pm.
Shelton was in the water for three and half hours solid when we first got there. He is the most sunburnt since I didn't venture out there to re-apply sunscreen like I was constantly doing with the ones on the shoreline. I failed to buy the water-resistance type.
Scott spent lots of time on his waterboards of different types. I still can't believe I sold my surf board when I moved from California. What in the world was I thinking. I wanted it so bad Wednesday. So bad.
Not because there were some amazing waves. nope.
There was no "check out the action of that rip!" As the rip was like, like maybe a foot or two high. Which from where I'm from would be what you'd call an ankle breaker or maybe snapper. i.e typical of east coast and gulf waves - unless there is a hurricane.
Scott and Shelton thought they were doing pretty cool out there on their boogie board taking in the ankle snappers. I didn't tell them back home they'd be what we might call "barnwalling down the line." In otherwords, didn't know what they were doing on the waves. They mostly would ride the breakers and then abandon their board at some point and roll in the surf, resurfacing totally water-logged.
And would yell from the water at me, "WHOA man! That was a huge wave, MOM!" Their smiles a mile wide. And eyes nearly swollen shut from salt-underwater eye opening.
I really couldn't show them up much different these days on the waves. As back in my early years I was more like someone who acts like they surf but really just sits on the board acting like they're waiting for a wave. I'd take one now and again. And do nothing fancy.
Yep. I was no pro. What you would call a "Bouy." If I did ride - riding a breaker. The breaker is not so much a physical thing as in a breaking wave, it's more of an existential thing, it's the last wave that you attempt before you are washed ignominiously back to shore with your dignity in tatters.
But who in the world cares. Talk about havin' some serious fun. Surf and swim, sunshine and sand -- being me just a little bit outside of all the routine and chores.
Which is what we ran away to do in the first place on Wednesday.
I read this morning something that goes along with the ocean in a spiritual sense:
"...We also swim in the boundless ocean of His love.
God wants us to relish His astounding grace, revel in His love, and cherish his compassion.
He desires that we rest in His secure embrace and delight in the wonder of His tender care. He wants us to be wholly gratified with Him and enjoy His blazing love for us. God could not think of us with a more tender love than He does every nanosecond.
As His children, we are infinitely precious in His sight. We can go to bed conscious that we sleep in His love and awake the next morning remembering His personal, compassionate affection toward us."
Psalm 48:9 in the New Living Translation reads, ‘O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.’ The same translation says in another place, ‘For I am constantly aware of your unfailing love’ (Psalm 26:3).
When I am at the ocean that is what happens for me all over again: Constantly aware of HIS unfailing love. The depths of His love like the ocean. His boundlessness. His strength through even the smallest breakers. His beauty all over the place. He loves beauty.
To think that His thoughts of me are more than the sand of the sea. That He even cares more.
(Shelton loves to write and create pretty words.)
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Run away.
. . . and run away to a place that brings your heart and mind back to the living and loving and mighty God that we are here to live for. Sometimes that might mean just taking a walk and sitting by a tree in the evening breeze. Whatever, it's a place that brings you into fellowship with your Creator.
This morning it wasn't taking off for the beach. It was lying in my bed and watching the sunrise through my window and almost being able to feel the light dancing on the bedspread, and enjoying the quiet that comes with waking before the children.
Those quiet moments of thanking Him for another day of life. Those moments of casting my cares on Him, crying out for the children and their souls. Asking God for strength.
Sometimes these moments only last - a few moments. Then a cry, or a bunch of pounding feet against the staircase as I hear cries for breakfast breaking out all over the house. Other times, God allows a good 15 or more minutes. And I run away with Him right then and there. And He reveals to me His goodness.
"If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me." - Psalm 139: 9-10
"There's a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea..." - Frederick William Faber
And here are some of my favorite pictures of our beach day:
My boys may not know what real surf is but you could hardly call them a "cavefish." (pale surfer.)
There are no clean waves at our beach, but at least they roll over - a little.
A gnarly girl surfer.
A real Crusher - Someone who surfs hard. At least on his skimboard.
Two beach bunnies.
Kissin' on the beach.
Finding ourselves in the sunsetting.
Chillin' waiting for the "water to get me!"
Tea parties in the sand and water.
Eyelashes! to keep sand out of the eyes.
Running away from seagulls.
Should I not eat sand?
My beach ballerina.
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Summer isn't gone yet. It's one season I wouldn't mind hanging out in for awhile.
a. ann~ |
| | Posted 7/10/2009 5:52 PM - 722 Views - 54 eProps - 28 comments
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--but I had no temptation to get in past my knees. Here in Michigan, the sun was hot, but the water was cold! We had a great time, though, and my sweet granddaughter even cooperated by napping under the umbrella a bit so that her mama could swim and I could read. And the kids re-routed the stream again (we do it almost every time we go--always a favorite activity, even for big kids!) and made forts to guard its shores. Beaches are just so satisfying. 
