Sooo...it's has indeed been a while, a long while. Thank you to those who emailed to check up on me! To say my life has gotten busy would be an understatement. So many things are going on right now that there are not enough hours in the day to do it all. I'm sure there's not one person reading this who can't sympathize! That's just the way life feels doesn't it? Go, go go.
Last week my family and I took a break from all the going and spent a week at Myrtle Beach. The week leading up to our trip, I was anxious about all the hurricanes that were supposed to
head that way. I worried that we would drive the 8 to 9 hours to get there, only to have to turn around and come home. My husband kept telling me that even if we only got one or two days of sunshine, it would be worth the trip and it would be a blessing. I had to make myself take on that attitude. Well, we not only had one or two days, but everyday we were there was full of beautiful sunshine. The neat thing was, when it did rain, it seemed to be at all the perfect times when we were finished at the beach.
There was one late afternoon that I will never forget. We were sitting on the beach and if I
looked over my right shoulder, there was blinding sunlight. I couldn't see far, even with sunglasses because it was so bright. Yet, if I looked over my left shoulder, it was blackness. You could see the dark clouds and rain in the distance, moving across the water. We sat there watching the two extremes of nature collide until we saw lightening and heard thunder. I thought to myself, I wonder if this is what it looks like everyday when morning meets night. One extreme leaves as the darkness fades and another starts as the light begins a new day.
Every year at the beach, I seem to have some big
"wow" moment with the Lord. It might be an incredible sunrise that I know He placed just for me. It could be a starfish or a sand dollar put right in my path. Whatever it is, I feel chill bumps from the thrill, yet a warmness of His incredible touch. This year even though we did find starfish and many other of God's amazing creatures, I never got those bumps. It was as if I took for granted all those gifts He gave. I sat on the beach one afternoon while my husband and children played in the water. I kicked the soft sand around with my feet and the well known verse popped into my head, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you." (Psalms 139:17-18).
I looked at all those infinite grains of sand just at my feet and I couldn't help but ask, "Lord how is it possible to think about me that many times?" It was as if a calm, loving voice whispered into my ear, "Marion, what characteristics of Me did you just teach your daughter?" My mind was brought back to the prior week where in school we discussed how God is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and lastly, Omnipresent (existing everywhere all at the same time; always present). I had to smile. How could He not think of me when He is always with me? In human terms, you are always aware of what the person next to you is doing.
I couldn't help but examine my own life. How often am I aware of His presence? How often do my thoughts throughout the day go to Him for advice and help? How
many things do I miss that He is trying to show me?
This week in my ladies Bible study we are studying the book of Ecclesiastes. This has always been one of my favorite books. It might be because it was the first book of the Bible my husband and I ever studied together. It could be because of the wisdom and the reminder that God wants so much for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Whatever the reason, the last verse of the book just reiterated all I had been feeling. It says, "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing,
whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:14) Basically what that means is, we should live our lives, moment by moment, like we are living in the presence of God...because we are, whether we realize it or not.
There were a few times at the condo where the kids would be fighting or my daughter would be yelling at her brother to stop doing something. I would go and softly say, "Stop talking like that. The lady that lives next door might hear you. Be nice!" My daughter would instantly change her tone of voice and include words like "please" and "thank you". It almost made me laugh! How different we would live our lives if we were not just worried about what the neighbors might overhear, but what God does hear!
Last week my family and I took a break from all the going and spent a week at Myrtle Beach. The week leading up to our trip, I was anxious about all the hurricanes that were supposed to
head that way. I worried that we would drive the 8 to 9 hours to get there, only to have to turn around and come home. My husband kept telling me that even if we only got one or two days of sunshine, it would be worth the trip and it would be a blessing. I had to make myself take on that attitude. Well, we not only had one or two days, but everyday we were there was full of beautiful sunshine. The neat thing was, when it did rain, it seemed to be at all the perfect times when we were finished at the beach.There was one late afternoon that I will never forget. We were sitting on the beach and if I
looked over my right shoulder, there was blinding sunlight. I couldn't see far, even with sunglasses because it was so bright. Yet, if I looked over my left shoulder, it was blackness. You could see the dark clouds and rain in the distance, moving across the water. We sat there watching the two extremes of nature collide until we saw lightening and heard thunder. I thought to myself, I wonder if this is what it looks like everyday when morning meets night. One extreme leaves as the darkness fades and another starts as the light begins a new day.Every year at the beach, I seem to have some big
"wow" moment with the Lord. It might be an incredible sunrise that I know He placed just for me. It could be a starfish or a sand dollar put right in my path. Whatever it is, I feel chill bumps from the thrill, yet a warmness of His incredible touch. This year even though we did find starfish and many other of God's amazing creatures, I never got those bumps. It was as if I took for granted all those gifts He gave. I sat on the beach one afternoon while my husband and children played in the water. I kicked the soft sand around with my feet and the well known verse popped into my head, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you." (Psalms 139:17-18).I looked at all those infinite grains of sand just at my feet and I couldn't help but ask, "Lord how is it possible to think about me that many times?" It was as if a calm, loving voice whispered into my ear, "Marion, what characteristics of Me did you just teach your daughter?" My mind was brought back to the prior week where in school we discussed how God is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and lastly, Omnipresent (existing everywhere all at the same time; always present). I had to smile. How could He not think of me when He is always with me? In human terms, you are always aware of what the person next to you is doing.
I couldn't help but examine my own life. How often am I aware of His presence? How often do my thoughts throughout the day go to Him for advice and help? How
many things do I miss that He is trying to show me?This week in my ladies Bible study we are studying the book of Ecclesiastes. This has always been one of my favorite books. It might be because it was the first book of the Bible my husband and I ever studied together. It could be because of the wisdom and the reminder that God wants so much for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Whatever the reason, the last verse of the book just reiterated all I had been feeling. It says, "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing,
whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:14) Basically what that means is, we should live our lives, moment by moment, like we are living in the presence of God...because we are, whether we realize it or not.There were a few times at the condo where the kids would be fighting or my daughter would be yelling at her brother to stop doing something. I would go and softly say, "Stop talking like that. The lady that lives next door might hear you. Be nice!" My daughter would instantly change her tone of voice and include words like "please" and "thank you". It almost made me laugh! How different we would live our lives if we were not just worried about what the neighbors might overhear, but what God does hear!
He is all knowing, all powerful and always near your side. No problem is too great for Him to fix, no secret can be hidden from Him and you are never, ever alone. What a difference that makes in my life!
No comments:
Post a Comment