The ocean is always been a bit of a mystery to me. Something that I watch on documentaries and that people talk about without my understanding. I am an Arizona desert native. I’ve lived in the Phoenix suburbs most of my life.
I’ve never really enjoyed being in the water, getting sandy in unmentionable places, and feeling the waves pull at my legs. No thanks! I’ll keep my jeans and t-shirt on and just collect shells on the beach.
Watching the power of the ocean is something I do enjoy, however. This October we stayed at a beach house near Galveston, Texas for 4 days with my dad and stepmom. It was something I had never experienced before.
When we first got there a storm had raged out in the Gulf and the water showed the turbulence that had happened farther out offshore. The colors were a deep green and the waves were loud and violent. The first night it rained gently most of the time.
The second night the storm was so loud that it was difficult to sleep. The power went out from the strong winds and the entire peninsula was very dark. At about 2:00 a.m. the wind changed and came from the north. It was cold and harsh. Much different than the warm wet air that had been coming from the ocean. It was hard to see the ocean in the dark but you could hear it crashing violently on the beach. I knew that we were safe, so I just enjoyed the power of nature. I was fascinated by what was happening and that I got to witness something that is a regular occurrence in this part of the country. We lit candles and listened to the storm. The girls slept through it but the boys were awake with us. I snuggled Kyle and listened to the storm raging.
I thought about connections to my life at home. I often have so many things going on at once that things begin to feel turbulent. Requests coming from those in my household, family, friends, teachers, leaders, community… it can all feel overwhelming. I want a vibrant life full of people and making a difference but sometimes it gets to be too much. I have a tendency to say “yes” to many things. And then I find myself stretched like an octopus going in eight different directions and not actually moving anywhere. The demands come crashing over me and it makes me want to hide, raise my white flag, and just check out.
The next day the water looked different. It was brown and muddy. More gentle than the day before but it also came at the shore slanted. The water was coming from a different direction. The aftermath of the storm had churned up the water. When it was low tide we found broken shells, seaweed, and moon jellyfish all over the beach. The birds were out that morning. Swooping near the water and trying to find fish. That evening dragonflies butterflies and all sorts of flying bugs migrated West. At sunset, they flew through the air in mass exodus for over an hour.
In that calm after the storm we watched the waves from the porch. We took an occasional walk down in the sand but the wind was harsh and cold. We relaxed on the couches, read books, the kids played on their tablets, I did some knitting, just simply stared out the window at the water and the sky, I made soup for dinner… We were still just enjoying being there and being able to watch the vibrant ocean from the kitchen, living room and porch. We relaxed in the cozy atmosphere of the house and savored the view. Relaxed conversations, card games, and delicious snacks kept us busy.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the water was more blue than it had been that whole week. It came to the shore in gentle waves. As the tide moved in and out it was a subtle change. People were out fishing, swimming, we even saw people wave surfing. My dad proclaimed that this was the beach experience that he thought we would have. This is what it normally looks like when he goes fishing over here, he said. But I was so thankful that our first few days were unusual and full of storms. I was able to appreciate the beauty of the ocean so much more. The kids made sand castles and we went for walks along the water. The waves were gentle and made small ripples. When you walked into the water there was no strong pull like the riptide that happened the few days before.
The days before with the storm and the strong waves of the ocean it was very clear to me what to do. We were in “relaxed rainy day mode”. But, when the ocean was calm and it became a more “typical beach experience” suddenly many more options were open.
The questions started flying around at breakfast. My dad wanted to take the grandkids fishing. Should we go eat at a restaurant nearby? Should we go make sand castles now? Or after sunset? Kyle wanted to go swimming. I wanted to go look closer at the moon jellies that had washed up on the beach and do a nature study drawing. Where is the sunscreen? Can we grill chicken and steaks for dinner? Now that the power is back on, Scott needed to do laundry. Can I get the Wi-Fi to work for my online writing class?
The last days there became busy with activity. There was so much to do and see. Knowing we were headed home was in our minds.
I felt pressed in by all of the decisions and directions that we could go. It felt so much more restful when it was storming and we had fewer options.
I often feel that way at home as well. There are so many things that I can do. Could do. Should do. It all presses in on me after a while and causes fatigue. My rhythms and routines carry me throughout my days with balance and structure. But sometimes I need a break from all of that to just sit and stare out the window. I need time to read books on the couch and make soup.
So this is the part where I offer practical ideas and solutions. I ask thoughtful questions. But I’m going to be bravely honest this time and say that I don’t have anything to put here…
I am back at home now and feeling pressed in and overwhelmed by all the things. My vacation recovery has been rough and has taken longer than I expected. I am not sure how to balance all that my life has in it. The parenting, homemaking, schooling, cleaning, cooking, writing, hobbies, and loving others well… I want to do so much.
So instead I offer you my simple observations of nature and reflections from our long trip. What I learned at the beach house this October.
I would love to hear what you are learning and observing in your life.
My prayer for us:
Lord Jesus,
Wherever we are, show us Your Power and Your Grace. Help us make connections to our lives and Your Wisdom God. Give us insight into Your design and the way you have created this amazing world. Bring us back to natural places so that we can learn something about ourselves. Give us time in nature to know you better. Bring us rest and grace for our weary hearts.
Amen.
🌊🐚Smiles & Hugs – April
[All the photos in this post were taken by me 🙂]