Today was a day off of ministry tasks, which had a bittersweet feeling to it. I was sad to not be doing anything with Ivy or Eden today, but I was also excited to be able to just see more of the country. Not only was I seeing more of England, but I also got to see the sea for the first time. Ever.
Yes. You read that right. First time ever. I have never seen a body of water bigger than a lake before.
We took a trip to see the Irish Sea, which was about an hour's drive from Manchester. The drive to the beach was beautiful. It had a mixture of seeing the city from a distance and some farmland, and the closer we got to the beach, we also got to pass through some gorgeous little towns. The beach is within a national park called the National Trust, and aside from the beach, there were some beautiful woods within it.
Once we were in the car park, we had to climb a small dune before actually seeing the beach. Once I got to the top, the view was breathtaking. Even with the overcast sky, I was stunned. The sound of the waves drowned out any other thought. It was, simply put, beautiful.
We set up some towels to sit on after kicking off our shoes. My host's two year old son donned his wetsuit and ran towards the wave, bucket and spade in hand. We alternated between sitting and watching the waves (and toddler) and walking in the water. The seawater was COLD, but it felt so refreshing. The tide was still reaching pretty far up the shore, but as the day progressed, the shoreline kept creeping farther and farther away from us.
After enjoying a picnic and watching the many dogs pass by us, we walked a little farther along the shore in search of shells. Our toddler kept calling the little clam-like shells "mouse ears," and so now I'll probably always think of them as mouse ears because that is just way too adorable.
Once we left the beach, we got some ice cream from the truck near the entry to the park. It was my first time trying Mr. Whippy ice cream, which had the consistency of really frozen whipped cream or Cool Whip, and yet still had a real ice cream flavor. It was really tasty!
We then went on the Squirrel Walk in the woods. This park is apparently a home to a really rare type of squirrel called red squirrels. We saw a few as we walked - they are actually quite beautiful little creatures! It was so peaceful and quiet on this walk, as people didn't want to scare the squirrels away so they could see them. The hush in this place gave it an almost magical feeling - like if we waited long enough, something incredible would happen. And you know what? Something incredible is always happening. Life is happening.
Being surrounded by creation in this way always draws my attention back to God as our Creator. He truly makes beautiful things, doesn't He? It always helps me keep my perspective in check. I am small and limited, but He commands the waters and calls tall trees to rise up. He created every intricate thing out of nothing and isn't confined by time or space... and yet He knows my name. He loves me as His child. He has a plan for my life and guides my steps moment by moment.
If you're reading this, I hope you would know and believe that the ultimate Creator of the universe knows you in your most inner being as well. And He loves you enough that He defeated death for you. And He wants you to know Him.
Blessings,
Lindsay
No comments:
Post a Comment