Where we live in North Carolina, we can be splashing in the ocean waves in two hours or hiking on a mountain in three and a half. For our family, it's the perfect spot! Growing up, vacations were not very frequent. My parents were poultry farmers and everything revolved around the chickens. How hot will it be? Can we squeeze in a short trip between flocks? These were the main questions before any summer get-away.
So without the week long vacays, day trips to the beach were a big part of my childhood. My aunt would load us kids in the van and off we went to jump the waves all day!
Now that we are back on the farm, a day trip was just what we needed. I recently decided to load the kids up and head to the North Carolina Coast. The kids and I worked hard this last week freezing corn (another post for another day), and some sun, sand and fun were calling our names.
After lugging our cooler, chairs, buckets, shovels, towels, and boogie boards through the hottest sand on the planet, we set up day camp and got ready for some "sand-sandwiches" as my youngest called them. "Relax", I kept thinking. We are here. It is beautiful. The day couldn't be any better. Here's the thing, Dad didn't make the day trip with us this time, and without Dad to do all the hard stuff, I was completely worried. What if the umbrella flies away, the surf is too rough, something tragic happens and I can't spring into action fast enough?
As mothers, we worry about our children...their health, their growth, their safety, their education, their choices, their friends, etc., etc., etc.. The list is endless! As I stood in the water watching them surf I would hold my breath when the big waves came, but they always popped back up. They'd give me a thumbs up and go again. Occasionally I could tell by their faces that they needed a hug after their wipe-outs. I was there with a towel to
wipe their eyes and with words of encouragement to get back out there. That is all we can do as mothers. In life our kids are going to make mistakes. Be there when they fall. Pick them up with a prayer and a hug and send them back out. Trust God's got a plan for them.
I eventually began to relax. I laughed at their tricks and clapped when they rode a big wave! When the kids all came to shore to play in the sand, I was able to sit and completely let go of all the worries for the moment. To sit and breathe in the salt air, listen to the waves, and look at the beauty of God's creation was the refreshment needed for this worried heart.
There will be so many worries and trials in this life. We are not promised an easy road. But, we have to find time and strategies to wash the worries away. Daily reading and prayer are my best worry busters. Getting outside also lifts my spirits and calms my heart. So find a moment or two to spend time in the Word to wash those worries away.
It is not possible to Show Joy with a worried heart!
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