In the weeks leading up to her arrival, I feel like God gave me a picture and a rhythm for how the few days would unfold. It came to me on a walk down to our beach that the theme of our visitors time (for this year) would be "Gifts from the Sea". I feel so refreshed with every visit to our beach whatever season. I feel like God has met me there time and time again and taught me 4 things over and over (much like the faithfulness of the tides).
Those 4 topics became the focus of each day that our guest was with us.
Day 1 - Listen
The goal for this day was to rest, be quiet and listen. Our guest got to walk, sleep, write in a journal, read or anything else that involved no noise and was conducive to her ability to listen. We often arrive places so frantic from the chaos of packing and leaving that I though this was a great way to stop and really rest. The picture from the ocean is that of finding a shell, picking it up and putting it to our ear. We have to become quiet and still to listen for the sound of the ocean resonating inside.
Day 2 - Trust and Seek
This was a day of conversation, asking questions, talking about what we heard in our listening, and discerning where God is at work in our life. The picture is that of coming to the beach and finding treasures - shells, rocks, sea glass - there. We do not scramble and dig and greedily grab for these things; we look for them on the surface and pick them up. We are invited to trust that the ocean will deposit what it wishes for us and then we are to come and seek it out. In the same way, we trust that God will lay out His gifts for us but we are also to look for them - not trying to make something happen, but picking up what He chooses.
Day 3 - Delight
This was a day of, well....delight. We used all our senses in ways that brought delight to our bodies. Sometimes I think we get so efficiency minded that we forget to really delight and enjoy and take in life through our sense. We are sometimes, as CS Lewis says, "half-hearted creatures". So this day we moved and stretched our bodies, we savored good food, we walked on the warm sand, we swung on the swings with my kids, we laughed at a funny movie, and we went to be tired but smiling! We took it all in with our whole hearts and bodies.
Day 4 - Forget the Shell
Our guest left this day, so we did not get to fully participate in this day, but it would have been a day to worship. "Forget the Shell" is an Amy Carmichael poem that reminds us that when we go to the beach, the shells and trinkets are nice, but pale in comparison to the ocean. In the same way, all the gifts, conversations and even our own lives pale in comparison to the grandeur and majesty of our Creator.
I wrote some prayers for each day which I will post in the next few days. All in all, it was a wonderful time and I am hoping that God will bring many more pilgrims, guests and/or visitors through our doors.
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