Sunsets...

One of the reasons I love the ocean so much is the reminder it gives me of God's presence in our lives. No matter how bad things seem, or how rough a day I have had, I can go to the beach and feel the negativity melt away. No other place can do this quite so quickly or so well. There is something about standing on the sand, the cool surf rushing through your feet, looking out at the water and seeing the strength of the waves and vastness of the ocean that reminds me that I am not in control, and at the same time reminds me to be thankful for the beauty in all things. Even as a little girl this happened to me. Growing up in landlocked Germany, I did not see the ocean very much; however, we had some neat vacations that took us to Spain, Italy and (former) Yugoslavia, where we spent some time by the water. I distinctly remember one time, being very young and standing at the beach and realizing what a powerful symbol this was to me. So the other night we went to a little local restaurant for dinner. We have a few spots where the kids like to go and it is actually a nice and relaxing event for all of us. It was still warm afterwards, so we decided to walk down to the beach and watch the sunset. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Part of why I am writing this is that I don't want to forget the evening. Although the sun sets each night and is often worth stopping to watch, tonight it seemed perfect. The tide was low and far out, so the waves just gently rolled in, making it perfect to run and run and run through. As soon as the kids saw that, there was no stopping them. We let them just go and enjoy it. And all the while the sky was turning amazing shades of pink, purple, yellow, red... It was beautiful. The reminder I needed for the day, to be so thankful for the kids that I have and the laughter they produce from just running through the sand and the waves... to realize the gift that they are and to know that God has a plan for each of us, and that their personalities, and mine too are no mistake in His plan for us... to be thankful for the beauty of our surroundings in the big things like a sunset over the water, or the smallest things, like the butterfly that Zoey caught earlier in the day, of which she was SO proud.
I tried so hard to make a mental note of it all, and I hope for years to come I can close my eyes and see Max and Zoey running with the crimson sky as their backdrop, laughter pouring out of them. Deo Gratias