Big Beach, Bigger God

Our vacation was a wonderful time of rest, relaxation, & refreshment sent from the Lord. The feeling of sand squeaking beneath our feet, the sound of waves lapping at the shore, the wind (and I do mean WIND) flowing over us like God's breath...all of it melted our stressors like falling shackles and made us feel alive. We had 2 days of decent weather to get out on the beach, and then 2 days of storms - and with not much else to do it made us slow down, rest, and just be still.
Tim enjoyed some much needed rest and reading some things other than seminary books! And as for me, I haven't been able to read so much since I was in nursing school! We had quite a host of company with us on the beach...King James, Beth Moore, John Piper and James McDonald, and the complimentary USA today. The bible study "Stepping Up" by Beth Moore kept me engrossed in the scriptures, while Dr. Piper (as always) challenged me in spiritually in-depth ways. When we arrived Monday and first stepped out on the beach, I was reminded of the way I feel each and every time I stand with my feet toward the ocean...small! For me, there is always a tendency to stand there and hear a voice tell me "See, all those problems and worries you thought were huge, they are seemingly insignificant and almost so tiny they are non-existent." Momentarily, that has offered my mind relief. But the next cry of my heart is "But they are real and significant to me!"

This time, through his book "Don't Waste Your Life", Dr. Piper helped me put it all in proper perspective. The hugeness of the ocean, the vastness of the Grand Canyon, the enormity of the universe...they are not meant to put us in our place of smallness, or to tell us that our little lives are or are not important, or to make us feel better about ourselves. In contrast, they are all about God, and his hugeness, his vastness, his enormity, his AWESOMENESS! They say nothing of ourselves (our stresses, our self-worth, our importance) but say volumes about the character, nature and being of God. Every grandiose thing on this planet exists not to make us feel small, but to help us realize how HUGE and POWERFUL and MIGHTY God is. No matter how big or small we feel our problems are or we feel we are, God is always saying "I'm bigger than that. I'm more majestic. I have power over all that." We forget that He is our creator; and that he made us not to be small and insignificant, but important. He made us and placed us in this world full of grandiosity so that we are continually surrounded by things that remind of us of the GRAND God that he is. So to me, on the beach, this time...God said "Yes, you have stresses, and worries, and things that are on your mind. They are important to you, and to me. But I am bigger!"
Dylan enjoyed the week at Grammy and Poppy's house, and fun was in no short supply. He has been talking about it ever since! At the week's end, we took a short trip to Tim's grandparent's house for a night's stay. It was good to see Granny and Pawpaw, and Dylan enjoyed 'exploring' their property and trying to catch their stray cats with a fish net!