Beach Walking - November 2, 2021

It’s confirmed. Beach Walking is one of my favorite things to do.

I pretty much knew this before I came here but I have not had a lot of opportunity to beach walk lately. The last time was probably three years ago, here in neighboring Neptune Beach, when I came to the Mayo Clinic for treatment. And that was only a few minutes at night before the sun went down. It’s still a vivid memory in my mind.

My feet have gotten much worse since then and I wasn’t sure I would even be able to get down to the beach. There have been many days over the years, I was limping around my own house due to foot pain. I convinced myself that I most likely, would not be able to stroll along the beach and I was okay with that. I am once again reminded not to have expectations. Not even bad ones.

I can’t begin to say how grateful I am to God for allowing me this gift. There’s something about wandering along the shore as the warm salty water rushes over my feet and I gaze across the horizon that grabs hold of me and doesn’t want to let go. Every one of my senses is alive. I can feel the squishy sand underneath my toes and see the foam bubbles that appear when the tide recedes. The sight of the waves cresting and the sound of them crashing tells me that life goes on, no matter what. For who can stop the waves? The sea oats wave to me in the breeze and the vast sky, studded with small cotton clouds, beckons me to not forget that it is hanging over me. “Quiet and blue” as the song says. It’s here I feel most connected to God and to myself. On the edge of the wild blue yonder. I can come near to the feeling by watching this scene from my balcony but I only get the life altering rush when I am standing in the middle of it. In the words of Jamie Grace,

I’m walking “…hand in hand with the master of all creativity.”

It’s the feeling I get whenever I drive to a coast and I roll my window down and let the wind cover my face and breathe in the salt air. Like there are blank pages in my book of life just waiting to be filled with moments like this. Like I have the courage to let go. Like I could take a chance on impossible and it would all work out. And being in the world is enough.

It feels like this will never get old. It’s then I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

It’s been said it can be hard to find your bliss. I think I’ve found mine.