The beach has always held countless memories for me, whether celebrating my summer birthdays as a child, or sowing my wild oats as a teenager. As an adult my husband and I enjoyed our honeymoon there, and when we had our precious little family its where we took our summer vacations. Each event joyfully centered around the Oregon Coast. Different beaches, yet a plethora of sweet, unique memories in whatever beach I landed my toes in the sand.
And though I carry a boatloads of delightful stories to share from those sandy shore, today my heart has settled on Seaside. Why you ask? Well, to be honest it is a rather a recent epiphany. You see Seaside has never been our first pick when it came to beach excursion. With our honeymoon it was Newport where my husband grew up, with our children we headed to Yachats due to a friends generously priced rental home we could stay at within our budget, as we stopped at Waldport and Newport along the way.
Seaside only entered our radar when our children were grown and we no longer wanted to drive as far to our usual coastal getaways.
For years Seaside laid ever so quietly in the shadows playing second fiddle for a very long time. When our life plans shifted it soon became our main destination. Traditions were quickly formed in this new location with our yearly trips in Oct. and then in May starting after my mom’s passing in May of 2013. We had new places to eat, stay and shop and looked forward to it with great joy!
Recently we headed to Seaside to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary early, choosing a quaint Bed and Breakfast close to the sea. As we took our evening stroll the beach and weather did not disappoint. And right then and their memories of this beach flooded in my mind with a whirlwind of gratitude. For so long this hidden in plain view gem, had been where my husband and I confessed our love for each other for the first time. The sweet shore of Seaside was where my heart begin to heal from my mom’s passing, where God spoke to me again and again of His love, faithfulness and grace.
Learning how to let go and let God while I gazed at His vast showstopping creation.
Choosing the power of forgiveness like the mighty rolling tides.
In the majesty of the crashing waves, breathtaking sunsets and awe of wonder of His goodness, His lessons of love lulled me with comfort and filled me with renewed hope.
All while standing on the profound truths of His word that “his thoughts for me are more then the sand of the sea.”
Endless, deep, wide and countless just like His promises.
Perhaps today your eyes have already been opened to His greatness in profound and creative ways. I rejoice with you !
May we never lose sight of every wow and wonder of His grace. For within all our mundane and messy moments there nestles His deep intentionality for our behalf. His glorious miracles and God moments eagerly awaits to be discovered, the once hidden treasures now bursting into full view.
And that my friend is the best view ever !
Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!God, I’ll never comprehend them!I couldn’t even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea.Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! Psalms 139:17-18 MSG
* Psalms 139:17-18 paraphrased