I was driving down the road asking God to forgive me. You see, it was summer time and my schedule was swamped. Actually my schedule had been out of control for quite sometime, but I didn’t know how to put the brakes on.
As the summer ended the year before, I realized that I am so blessed to live 25 minutes from the beach. Y’all the beach, sunshine, sand, and swimming pools are my favorite things! But because of a chaotic schedule, I hardly ever went. As the first cool front blew in that winter before, I was sad I hadn’t stopped to enjoy the beauty God had put just minutes away.
So I swore I was never going to do that again.
I was going to slow down, especially in the summers, to enjoy where my heart longs to be year long. I wanted to do nothing but laze at the beach feeling the warmth of the glaring sun and the crispness of the cool ocean breeze. This is my place. The place I feel the closest to God. Heaven at the beach.
But here I was at the end of the next summer driving down the road apologizing to God for doing the same thing again. I had squandered away moments where I could have been enjoying his creation — the great outdoors. The brilliant colors, smells, flying birds, and summer breezes. God is so creative and I needed to experience his glory.
After about fifteen minutes in conversation with God, my phone rang. It was my dear friend, Rosie. She was in Playa del Carmen. “Alene, my family and I have room for a guest. You should come join us!”
My heart soared at the possibility of actually getting to chill outside, at the most gorgeous beaches, and enjoy not only incredible friendships but the crystal clear aqua waters of the Caribbean. But immediately my mind was thinking of reasons why I couldn’t go — I’m too busy, my schedule won’t allow, I’ll be so far behind, others are counting on me, and on and on and on and . . .
I told Rosie the conversation I just had with God. She gently mentioned that God knew the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4) and was giving me a second chance to enjoy a bit of summer. Her words were such bliss to my worn-out soul.
I made the trip to Playa. And once I got away, I really realized how much I needed sunshine and rest in my soul.
I hung-out that week in nothing but my bathing suit and pajama’s. It was heaven! I grew up living like that. For the first twenty years of my life I lived next to a pool. I began lifeguarding at fifteen and went on to teach swimming well into my twenties.
Don’t tell anybody, but a lot of nights I just slept in my swimsuit as it would be one less thing to do when the alarm sounded the next morning. Seriously, like putting on a bathing suit is something major. Who ever said you had to be in pajama’s to say your prayers and lay your head down for a peaceful nights rest?
Laying on the beaches of the Mexican Riviera I realized how much I longed for a return to those kinds of summers.
Slower paced summers. Summers that allowed me to live in a swimsuit, if I so desired. Summers where I was outside, not held up in an office missing connecting with my own soul. Summers where God’s beauty engulfed me, not four walls and tiled floors.
We all have these places that offer our inward-most being a rest. A real soulful rest. And it’s those places our souls beg us to go time and time over—so we can slow and notice God.
Your place to connect with God might not be the ocean.
Maybe it’s the mountains or farmland. It might even be waking up and witnessing the still of a lake as dawn breaks. Maybe it’s sitting still and quiet while you watch your child sleeping peacefully like an angel. I’m not sure what it is for you, but there’s a place.
God created us with this desire to gaze upon his wonderful creations and long to sneak away with our own thoughts and with Him. It’s in the escape of his beauty that our soul longs for quiet. There’s no need for busy or hustle — but rather silence. You, God, the breeze, birds chirping, the slow-breaths of your child sleeping, the smell of pine trees, or the mirrored-like stillness of the mighty waters.
This longing for God’s presence among the busiest of days is what led me to host the Be Still ~ Beach Retreat. It blows me away with what God has done when others step away from chaos desiring God show up. Y’all I can’t even believe it, but we are already sold out this year. However, if you’d like more information be sure to sign up for the updates. My email readers get first dibs at registration.
Where do you experience the most serene peace?
Where does it feel like time stands still? Where does your soul long to be when things get rough and bumpy? Answering these questions will lead you straight to your little piece of heaven here on earth.