I grew up by the sea.
5.8 miles away, to be exact.
The older I get, the more I realize what an impact the ocean has had on me. Summers felt long as a kid. I remember every Friday, when we didnt have basketball practice, all my friends would head down to the right side of the pier. Our spot. We’d congregate with whoever else was down there…and we’d have nothing but our swim suits, beach towels, and love of the sea.
As a teenager girl, the ocean was my biggest boost of confidence… and my great teacher. Swimming under that strong current taught me to trust the body God gave me. I learned what waves were ones you floated over and which ones would throw you down in a rumble. I learned what seaweed felt like on your toes and how empowering it was to dive down deep and feel the sand between your fingers.
I also learned that the only kind of make up you needed in life was proper sunscreen. The thick kind. That kind that gooped on your skin and stuck on when you dove in down hard in sand volleyball. I learned that the sunset over the sea never looked the same twice. And that the human soul needs to see as many ocean sunsets as humanly possible…it reminds you how small you are and how grand God is.
The other day I went back to my favorite part of the coast. Manhattan beach. This place that has memories tucked around every corner, around all the buildings, down each street. I love this little sliver of the pacific.
Thank you Jesus for this place.
For the way I see you here.
For the way you created the waves,
the sand,
the shore,
the deep,
the breeze,
the sunshine…
ohh how lovely it is!