So, yeah. I went on vacation last week.
I went to Little Talbot Island in Florida... on the north side of Jacksonville.
After staying there a whole week I came to realize it is actually considered to be in the city limits of Jacksonville, but whatever!
Anyhoo.
It was a much needed break, full of absolutely no pressure... no cell phone service, no tv, no internet access. I sat on the beach day after day... pretty much alone. I read 4 books. I ate kinda healthy (I'm a girl with a Dairy Queen addiction, I won't say I didn't indulge!). I walked a mile to the beach every day and a mile back. I slept in a tent, cooked on a fire, and breathed fresh air. I got a great tan, got eaten by tons of bugs, and lived in my beach dress 24/7. I wore flip flops every day, hardly brushed my hair, and never set my alarm.
Glorious.
I resolved a few things...
I resolved to not take so long to go on vacation next time.
I resolved that cell phone free life needs to happen more often.
I resolved that the world (and ministry) can actually happen without me being here
and its ok for me to take a break.
I resolved to trust people more.
I resolved to buy a new camera (ugh my camera stinks!),
eat less junk (that lasted all the way to the Georgia border, at Whataburger),
and to breathe more clean air.
I resolved to not let life feel like this anymore:
I don't need to be that little guy trying to outrun those ever growing waves. I need to "evacuate" and stop and appreciate life more often and when things get overwhelming I need to keep them in perspective.
But I also need to remember that sometimes sitting where life is beautiful and amazing and there is a great view means sitting in dangerous spots.
The beautiful life isn't always the safest one.
The easy path isn't always the one that leads to peace.
The comfortable life isn't the one that makes the most sense.
I want to be free.
I want to appreciate the beauty AND the struggle of things that I face every day.
I want to continue to love and to live.
And in that mix I want to learn to run to higher ground when things get threatening. I want to remember where my higher ground is and where I can go to rest, be safe, and be still.
The waves aren't getting smaller... but the beach also isn't getting less beautiful.
I have so much to be thankful for... the struggle AND the beauty.
I want to live a thankful life.
