Growing up in Southern California, I have spent a significant part of my life at the beach. From those warm summer days of playing in the water, to the late night bonfires with friends, it has been a place where I feel at home. The effect that the smell of the ocean has on me is incredible. It brings about this complete sense of comfort and is also a place where I can feel the Lord so clearly. Whenever I am stressed or frustrated, or even just confused, I drive down to the beach and all it takes is one smell of the ocean and the feeling of sand under my feet for me to be completely calmed down. Even coming back from WR training camp, the first thing I did once I stepped off the plane was drive down to the beach with my mom and walk around our favorite spot to debrief.
I say all this because last night I had yet another wonderful moment of feeling God’s complete presence while at the beach. My friends and I have a prayer night every other week and it is usually held at someones house. But last night we decided to drive down to the beach around 10:00 and go out to a lifeguard tower with our blankets and pray there. I absolutely loved sitting on the tower over looking the ocean surrounded by darkness with only the noise of the crashing waves before us. We were able to sit and talk and open up about our lives and pray over each other in a way for some reason I felt was so much more pure than with our normal surroundings. I think there is definitely something to be said about being in “nature” and communicating with God. Last night just reminded me of how blessed I am to have that place of serenity with the Lord.
