Healing water

I stuck my feet on the ocean today - and it was amazing.

Sometimes I just need to get away. Many days that is just not possible. Today was one of those days. It was a very busy day filled with many commitments and responsibilities. A day when there was barely time to sit for five minutes, let alone get away. Trying to push the fatigue and over-exposure to people out of the way I loaded up our church van with 12 exuberant teens and headed for the beach. There we were met by another ten teens. After about an hour and a half scheduled there, we were off to a home for dinner and a devotional. All this after leading a training session for 4 ours on Frday night and 8 hours on Saturday. I was spent and in dire need of a break.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that if taking a van load of teens to the beach for volleyball and "hang out" time is my greatest burden, I am a pretty blessed guy. Nonetheless, I was tired, emotionally and physically. When I feel that way, about the only thing that recharges me is down time alone. That was not in any way going to happen today.

When it was almost time to leave the beach for our next destination, I left the volleyball courts and headed for the water to retrieve the handful of kids who were in the surf. It was a beautiful Southern California afternoon. The water was a brilliant blue green as it rose and fell in softly crashing waves on the shore. I stepped in the edge of the oncoming tide and shuddered at the first touch of cold water. Then it was as if everything in me relaxed. As the tide rose and fell around my feet and ankles, rising up as high as my kness and then soflty falling back down all my fatigue seeped away with the tide. Refreshing peace and renewal washed over me. For five minutes or less I just stood there taking in the sights, being massaged by the pulsing tide. Little children and parents played and laughed all around me. My own youth group kids were out diving and swimming in the waves, squeezing everything they could out of these last few minutes. In that breif time it felt like a full week of stress and fatugue washed away.

Thank you God for the healing power of your creation. But most of all, thank you today for the ocean as it touched Zuma Beach and renewed my weary soul..