The years come and go, but the heart always remembers summer. It remembers the wide band of sand and sea, the cry of the seagulls, the sensation of warm sand between your toes. The heart remembers the little Sandpiper upon the shoreline, and the Hermit crab who pops up now and again to survey the sandy scene. (The heart always remembers the most important things.)
Ah, the allure of the beach house set apart from the rest of the world, a haven for those who still believe in the magic of summer. It is only a house, and yet cast in form by the ocean, it is like a real-life sandcastle, pulled together with the stuff of dreams and sea air, a place where the imagination soars.
Last week, I spent a week in such a place as this with my family. It is a place where the sky and ocean meet in an acquaintance of soft breezes and misty sea air. Sunrise and sunset are epiphanies of magnificent color. We are awed by the wonder of an orange moon, and a sun that seems pure pink at dawn.
A beach house beckons us to celebrate the moment, to allow the soft breeze to calm our souls, imagine new beginnings. We forget sometimes that the ocean has much to teach us about life; the sea has a music all its own, a melodious chant that has no end. It begs for us to listen, to start again, to let go of the waves of past hurts and disappointments that have beaten us down.
We realize that we are all set sail upon an open sea. We measure our days between the rising and the setting of the sun. The storms of life come and then they subside. The frolicking wind seems to call us by name, and we tarry far off from shore, adrift in a sea that cannot be tamed. Alone, that sea could be treacherous, the waves too overpowering.
How fortunate we are to be in the company of the One who can calm the sea, the one who loves us now, and through all eternity!
Yes, I love a beach house, and I love that sparkling sea. But, most of all, I love the One who created it all, the One who painted the orange moon and hung it high in the sky for all to see. I love the One who painted the pink sunrise, full of dreams, and magical new beginnings.
There will never be a photograph or a painting that could fully replicate the beauty that God brings to us each and every day. I do know that in heaven above, there will be a sparkling sea, and a place lit with magnificent light, a ‘beach house’ like no other, a place to rest, and a place to ‘start again’.
May we remember that place before us when the thunderous waves of life threaten to overtake us. May we also remember the song of the sea and the seabirds; it is a song of freedom. Life is a precious gift wrapped in ribbons of love. We unwrap the gift in the morning light, all that shimmering magic at our fingertips…ribbons of hope, ribbons of promise, ribbons of joy!
1 Corinthians 2:9: “But, as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love him.”
Magnificently inviting! I’ll take One!
Along with that verse which happens to be one of my favorite. Thank you for this!
It’s a keeper!
That is one of my favorite verses as well! 🙂 I think of it often…When we are surrounded by the natural beauty of God’s creation, be it the mountains or the sea, or a sea of stars for that matter, our hearts skip a beat. I always think, if the earth is this magnificent, what might heaven look like?
“May we also remember the song of the sea and the seabirds; it is a song of freedom. Life is a precious gift wrapped in ribbons of love.” A wonderful reflection – Thank you!!! Hugs!
Thank you! I love the ocean…it is always hard to leave! 🙂
Love this one! But then of course I’ve always loved the sea and I’ll take the charm of a beach house any day! 😎
There is nothing quite like it, is there? Listening to the sound of the waves pounding over and over again…:)
stunning shots Linda, love the clouds in those last two! You are so right, heaven will be all the things we find relaxing and beautiful …
I think we do get a glimpse of eternity when we gaze at the setting sun, or watch the sun rise in the early morning. I think we see it also in the eyes of the people we love…in smiles, and hugs, and kind words and deeds. 🙂 Heaven is a place where love rules, and that love spills down upon the earth in glorious ways.
nicely said … I often think of love as radiating out! We know those with abundance and we enjoy being in their company 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
This is another beautifully written reflection on just one of the many things we have to be thankful for with this gift we call life.
Yes, we are so blessed! Each day there are gifts…special people, special places, special times!
🙂
Ahh..you brought me there Linda. Refreshing. Ironic, as I sit on our deck in smoke filled air from the Canadian wild fires and a north wind. I would love the sea breeze and waves rolling in. My favorite verse as well. Very well written, thanks for sharing.
I hope those Canadian wildfires settle down! I will pray that they subside. The sea breeze always makes me feel like anything is possible. Even when I return home, I try to remember that feeling of freedom; it is easy to get caught up in things, to forget that we can choose moments of ‘seaside reflection’ wherever we may be.
Sunsets, sunrises; they appear and change instant by instant, before you can get your camera out, the moment is gone. Better to just watch as God paints a moving picture in the sky. Also one of my favorite verses.
You are right about sunrises and sunsets…hard to capture that incredible beauty! God is good. He is always good, and His paintings often surprise us with their magnificence.
Beautiful, Linda. I feel as if I were there feeling the salty breeze on my face. Very picturesque. God’s grip – Alan
Helping my mother sort through all of her worldly possessions has been an illuminating experience. In the end, time spent with those we love and adventures to different places tops anything we might find in our houses. The beach is such a relaxing place…a place to wander, but not become lost. 🙂
That 2nd photo wow-ed me… then I saw the 3rd…. how I miss the sea and the way it can shut out the world.
It does shut out the world…those thunderous waves crashing over and over again…:)
Since I was a child my family has gone to a beach house at the New Jersey shore and the tradition continues now with my children and grandchildren. It is a week away from the real world. But In a way, a week of what is the real world with ocean and sky and birds and sand. Thanks for bringing it all back here to me. Looks like you had an incredible week.
We did have a wonderful week! I have spent much of the summer trying to clean out my mother’s house so it can be sold. It is a physical and emotional journey! The beach trip was a refreshing change of pace. 🙂
There is definitely something special about being at the beach. We haven’t spent time in a beach house in forever, but it is wonderful. I’m glad you had that relaxing, special time.
When I was a little girl, I used to dream about living in a lighthouse. I thought that would be the most wonderful thing in the world, and I would read about lightkeepers and their families from long ago. Visiting a beach house now and then seems the perfect escape…not quite as remote as a lighthouse, but close to the sea! 🙂 And, they have all the modern conveniences…like a coffee-maker! 🙂
A coffeemaker is a must! 😀
Beautiful written reflection! I find it that the beach and water have a natural way of calming me down by just listening to the waves.
I feel the same as you do…the sea is so calming. I always liked to sleep on a boat, and listen to the water break against the hull. (Better than ‘counting sheep!’) 🙂
I’m so glad you got the chance to spend a week at a beach house! They are not only relaxing, but a great reminder of the power and love of God…nature does that to me, too. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! You see God’s hand everywhere…He has created so much beauty for us to enjoy! 🙂
This looks like such a beautiful place and I’m glad you got the chance to spend some time there. I haven’t been to the beach in so long – I’m really craving it!
I never like to leave the ocean…I hope you take a trip to the beach! It does not have to be in summer. I think the sea is beautiful at any time of the year. 🙂
So beautiful!
Thank you!