The shoreline brings me to a state of consciousness where time laps against the edges of eternity, where the infinite and the finite occupy the same space, where the measurable stands with the unfathomable, where the water is indistinguishable from the land and where spirit seeps unhindered into what is temporal and mundane; this is where I feel as if I can touch the face of God.
I am not sure I can remember when I last spent a day on the beach. But Thursday the dawn broke with warm air and cold water and such thick mist rolled in it could have been San Fransisco.
So we headed out with towels, chairs, toys, children, paddles, balls, coolers and even (my family never had one of these) a beach umbrella for shade. And we played. And we walked down the boardwalk to a pizza place for lunch. And then we played some more.
Geoffrey pretty much ran non-stop for five hours. In an out of the water, round and round, chasing and splashing and laughing and squealing with delight.
Later, to celebrate the birthdays (Rebekah and Craig), we all walked a half mile through the town for dinner at O’Donnell’s.
I love walking to dinner. Later, strolling back along the boardwalk, with the sun setting and the temperatures cooling and the light breeze off the ocean, the evening was perfect.
Such a good day to be thankful for Rebekah and her birthday, to be thankful for our son-in-law Craig and his birthday too, to drink in the relaxed and playful atmosphere of this idyllic beach town, to be drawn into the deep spiritual rhythms of sun and sand and surf.
So today Rebekah and I leave the grandchildren with their parents and head back to the routines of our life in Tarboro. And I will start to write again, and Rebekah will prepare for her message Sunday morning, and we will see what we can do about catching up…
Still, though, we will occupy that liminal space where time washes up against eternity, and we will continue to be drawn into the deep spiritual rhythms we know so well – DEREK
The day in a photographic essay, from heading to the beach to coming home from dinner:
My wife, Judy Smith, is in St Anthony’s Hospital with cancer. She will be coming home tomorrow with Hospice Home Care. Please let Rebecca know. And say a prayer for us. Thanks.
So sorry Earl. We both hold you in prayer and love. Peace and more peace
[…] Tuesday evening Rebekah and I got to see our little family one more time as Naomi, Craig and the children stopped off here in Tarboro for the night on their way home to Orlando from the Jersey Shore. […]