Is there any better place to play than on a beach?As I sit on the beach wall on the Gulf side of Florida staring at the small waves, the pinkish sand, the intense blue sky, and the sea birds floating overhead, even my two pups beside me are inhaling it all. As I am, they look around, they sit still, and they are relaxed. The Dachshund puppy loves it! He frolics in the sand and looks up at me, his tiny black nose coated with grains of sand.
God certainly knew what he was doing when he created his thousands of sandboxes around the world – I mean, they are everywhere! He means for us to play. He wants us to relax and release stress. He hopes we find some peace and has created the ideal space in which to do so.
It is tricky not to feel connected to God at his beach. It’s natural to want to pray there – prayer flows through me easily and unsurprisingly.
Think about the marvelous simple activities we can do on a beach!
- Fly a kite
- Jump in the waves
- Build a sandcastle
- Dig with shovels
- Sit and read
- Get a tan
- Play frisbee
- Swim
- Write in the sand
- Body surf, surf, skim board
- Lounge on a raft
- Feed the seagulls
- Play volleyball
- Plant a beach umbrella
- Walk, jog, bike along the shore
- Discover seashells
- Watch the sunset
- Create a sand sculpture
- Feel the breeze
- Fill a bucket with water or sand
- Pray
- Write
- Think
- Paddleboard, jetski, kayak
- Fish
- Have a picnic
- Light a bonfire
- Get married
- Participate in a beach yoga class
- Watch hatching of sea turtles
- Wait for dolphins to swim by
- Watch sailboats on the horizon
The list of things to do on a beach is longer – it’s your choice of activity!
I have no doubt God designed beaches on purpose to invoke the feelings being there bring. Who doesn’t love the beach? (I suppose there may be some. If only they knew what they were missing.)
For me, being on the beach IS being with God – it’s his sandbox and I am privileged to play there.
Often here on the Gulf side as I’m biking or walking along the beach, I discover fantastically designed beach sculptures: mermaids, merman, dolphins, turtles and others … (they are really well done) Who the heck knows how to create these so well??? I am convinced it is God who sculpts them when no one is looking, perhaps during the night so as not to be caught. 😀
Need peace, need to think, need a great prayer spot? Go to a beach! It doesn’t even have to be summer to benefit from the calm it provides. Bring your own bucket and shovel … God will supply the tranquility.
