Just this week, I went on vacation to a beach in New Jersey. I've grown up getting to know this beach, after vacationing at the same spot for about seven years in a row. But somehow, this year felt different.
How could it be that the place I've been vacationing at for many summers somehow felt so different this year?
Maybe it's the fact that my sister is soon to be married, and I knew that this would potentially be our last vacation together. Maybe it's the fact that I've changed, and maybe it's the fact that time is flying by, but I wish it would slow down. Because the days were going fast, but the nights seemed to be longer. It all felt a little bit unsettling this time.
But it was this constant feeling of change and confusion that was taking me over just before God decided to show me that it's time to slow down. You see, during this moment, I was on the beach watching the sunset with my sister. I looked around me, and all that I saw was the beauty of God's creation. From the little grains of sand latching onto my ripped jeans. The wind in the air reminded me of God's promise and His constant love that all of His creations are God breathed. The seagulls flying over us reminded me that every little feather, and every little detail of all the creatures on this earth, have been beautifully stitched together.
"Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
For me, this was settling with me perfectly. As I looked into the sunset, I couldn't help but mention how beautifully large the sky looked. From the constant reminders, it seemed infinite. But it's not, and sometimes we forget that this life is temporary, and that our forever home lies with the Lord in Heaven. As much as I want to slow down, I'm so genuinely excited to start new beginnings, such as the new friendships and relationships that have formed in my life. It reminds to to always surround myself with those who genuinely care about you and who will bring you closer to the Lord.
While some things don't change, those are the most stable things in your life that you need to discover and embrace to understand change. But never let change overcome your being, because change will shake your grounds, but it will never change God. And don't let change interfere your relationship with the Lord, let it be what brings your relationship closer.
