There's a peaceful serenity that calms my soul when I sit by a lake.
Today is a calm day, although just several days ago the wind whipped the waves higher than some of the docks, shaking them with a force that almost rivaled a hurricane. Today, however, The waves lap ever-so-gently along the sand and I feel the warmth of the sun, which has now peered out from a string of clouds. It glows a warm yellow in the evening hour, shimmering off the lake's smooth surface.
I squish my feet in the sand, and it molds beneath my feet and squishes in between my toes, giving me its version of a foot massage. A row of smooth rocks line the shore, having been pounded by the waves of time.
Shrieks and squeals of laughter resound from the playground behind me while another little girl plucks stones from the shoreline, attempting to skip them. Too young to have the knack for skipping stones down, I burst out chuckles here and there as I watch her try.
The gentle yet ever-present breeze wafts a clean early-summer scent. The smell of burning charcoal on the grill makes my stomach growl for a good meal. Not that I am starved, by any means, but I couldn't deny that a good grilled hamburger would quench my appetite.
The beach-side, now all but deserted by the Sunday afternoon crowd, is filled with small valleys by the feet that had pounded across its' molding shore. The power and energy that thrived upon these waters has now calmed into a solitude with only a few scattered pontoon and a pair of ducks, now gliding farther into the distance.
A dark and massive cloud has now passed over the lake, but has yet to eclipse the sun from its warm rays reaching down to earth. I can tell that after the sun grows weary & falls into the night, the dark and gloomy cloud will let loose its rage.
Over the past several minutes I have been joined by families who are just as eager for summer to start as I am. The young girl has now been joined by the rest of her family, now all scouring the shoreline for the perfect flat stone. It seems as if she got her lack of stone-skipping talent from the rest of them. Several other families filter in and out, all catching a small glimpse of the breathtaking view - although none of them stay long enough for me to believe they truly breathed in the scene.
I am ready for a summer next to the ocean; Yet I am apprehensive about leaving. I will surely miss my loving family and the church that has welcomed us. I will miss the companionship they offer and our often trips to the lake.
But these words I have come to cherish: "Be still and know that I am God." Here at the lake, all my fears and apprehensions about leaving are washed away and calmed, just like the calm of the lake itself. It's here that I am still and God shows himself almighty and faithful.
Today is a calm day, although just several days ago the wind whipped the waves higher than some of the docks, shaking them with a force that almost rivaled a hurricane. Today, however, The waves lap ever-so-gently along the sand and I feel the warmth of the sun, which has now peered out from a string of clouds. It glows a warm yellow in the evening hour, shimmering off the lake's smooth surface.
I squish my feet in the sand, and it molds beneath my feet and squishes in between my toes, giving me its version of a foot massage. A row of smooth rocks line the shore, having been pounded by the waves of time.
Shrieks and squeals of laughter resound from the playground behind me while another little girl plucks stones from the shoreline, attempting to skip them. Too young to have the knack for skipping stones down, I burst out chuckles here and there as I watch her try.
The gentle yet ever-present breeze wafts a clean early-summer scent. The smell of burning charcoal on the grill makes my stomach growl for a good meal. Not that I am starved, by any means, but I couldn't deny that a good grilled hamburger would quench my appetite.
The beach-side, now all but deserted by the Sunday afternoon crowd, is filled with small valleys by the feet that had pounded across its' molding shore. The power and energy that thrived upon these waters has now calmed into a solitude with only a few scattered pontoon and a pair of ducks, now gliding farther into the distance.
A dark and massive cloud has now passed over the lake, but has yet to eclipse the sun from its warm rays reaching down to earth. I can tell that after the sun grows weary & falls into the night, the dark and gloomy cloud will let loose its rage.
Over the past several minutes I have been joined by families who are just as eager for summer to start as I am. The young girl has now been joined by the rest of her family, now all scouring the shoreline for the perfect flat stone. It seems as if she got her lack of stone-skipping talent from the rest of them. Several other families filter in and out, all catching a small glimpse of the breathtaking view - although none of them stay long enough for me to believe they truly breathed in the scene.
I am ready for a summer next to the ocean; Yet I am apprehensive about leaving. I will surely miss my loving family and the church that has welcomed us. I will miss the companionship they offer and our often trips to the lake.
But these words I have come to cherish: "Be still and know that I am God." Here at the lake, all my fears and apprehensions about leaving are washed away and calmed, just like the calm of the lake itself. It's here that I am still and God shows himself almighty and faithful.
