Reflections

Where has the time gone? It seems we just got back from our trip to Portland, and already a month has actually gone by! Time goes by so fast, and sometimes I just get swept up in the current. Recognizing this pattern, today I decided to stop, smell the roses, and truly be present in my current place of
inhabitance, even if it was a bit difficult. . .

For anyone that knows me really well, it will be no surprise to you that I love the ocean. There's something about standing on a beach and staring out at the open sea that is calming to my soul. I really could never explain it until I took some time to ponder it this morning. I decided this week to take a half hour out of my morning and walk, but instead of bringing my i-pod with I have found that praying is much more appropriate for me. So, this morning, I walked, prayed and discovered the answer to the question: "Why is the ocean so calming to me?" This is a question that I have been pondering for the last six months. Ever since we returned from Hawaii, I have had this longing to go back (more so than any other time in my life). I'm not quite sure why, but I think I understand it a little bit better after this morning.

I have started to try finding beauty in the world that I am currently residing in (i.e. North Dakota). Sometimes this is hard to do. This morning on my walk I looked at the blue sky with fluffy clouds, the green grass still twinkling with morning dew, and the small trees around my neighborhood and realized that it truly is beautiful. But then I remembered Canon Beach in Oregon and the beaches in Hawaii and it seemed that ND doesn't even hold a candle to the majestic feeling of being by the ocean.

I guess when I took the time to really search for the answer, it came down to one truth. In my seemingly small world, I get caught up in the busyness. Work gets in the way, chores pile up, and before I know it I have gone months without taking the time to really enjoy my surroundings and be thankful for them. When I'm by an ocean, however, it is not like that. I sit for hours staring at the crashing waves and soaking up the sun (or, as in Oregon, staring at the crashing waves and shivering because it is cloudy, cold, and misty). I don't have pending projects or schedules and I can just be . . . and that's when I hear it.

In those moments when I have been by the ocean, I hear God's voice even more clear that I hear it at home or at church. It's a whisper in the breeze or a small, calm feeling in the sound of a crashing wave. I hear it so clearly in that atmosphere that when I get home to my regular routine, it gets drowned out, and my soul begins to miss the surroundings that seem to welcome a sense of just being.

Nate and I have come to the conclusion that some day we would like to live by an ocean, even if it is just for a few months out of the year. Until then, I have found that I need to create those moments of meditation and appreciation for my surrounding environment myself. I have to admit, it has felt good these last three days to hear God's voice during my morning walk. To get out of the house, forget about chores and clients, and just be.

I want to encourage you, whatever point in life you are in - make time to spend being present in your environment. Even for just a half hour. You'll find that your soul is greatly refreshed and your world truly is beautiful.