Creation cries out in worship to our God. Truly there is none like Him. Tonight the stars sing of his praise, dancing above a vast ocean that the moon watches over. The waves roar in tune, never ceasing, always in rhythm in the never ending song of creation. The sun as it goes down to the night spreads His glory through the skies, a canvas of vibrant color. And as the sun wakes, it rises with praise, an ambassador of shining new life, coming with the dawn. In the early morning hours, the day is baptized in light shades of soft pastels and fiery yellow-oranges. All creation, never ceasing in joyous praise of how great is the Almighty. The breather of stars and the King of the Universe. We too have a part to play in this grand song. There is purpose to the ordinary, worship in the mundane. For everything will praise Him, so we praise Him with our everything. All the earth, praise the Lord.
I wrote this bit of prose while I was up late one night at the beach a few weeks back. It was just me that was still up, and so I tip toed out to the living room to look out the big window to see the stars so clearly in the sky, and the moon so bright over the waves. There was a little fishing boat way out on the horizon, but nothing much else besides the stars, the moon, the waves, and the sand. It was so incredibly peaceful and I wanted to freeze that moment and savor it for awhile. In fact, our whole week at the beach was some of the most peace I’ve felt in a long time. I could see God so clearly in His creation, and in my own heart as well.
The beach has always been a special place for me, and I’ve made/experienced a lot of big life decisions while at the beach in prior years. In the summer when we stayed at Topsail Island before my junior year of high school, I wrestled with God and was in constant prayer over a decision that would shape the rest of my high school journey. During that week, the Lord answered me in various ways of such clarity and peace, and the peace came through wrestling. Today, I can now see the fruit of that decision.
The next summer at Topsail my dad experienced a heart attack, another event that changed the trajectory of my life. The first half of that week consisted of 45 minute drives to the hospital every day to visit my dad, and almost every day that week we had super rainy and gross weather. Still, I eventually found peace from that week. I remember one night looking up at the stars, so clear on the island because of the lack of ambient light. It was then that the Lord put it on my heart to start this blog, and begin to share my heart with others through it. Once again, I still wrestled with God that week before I experienced peace.
Two years later, and on a different beach, I experienced another week of wrestling and peace as well. Before going on vacation I was distant from God in my apathy of blaming busier things taking time away from being before Him. Once again, God reminded me of His peace through his creation, and helped me to remember the wonder of Him. I felt such peace and clarity in moments that I wished could’ve lasted forever.
Since returning from the beach I’ve been so busy between my job and finishing up two online college classes. I’ve thought, “Oh if only I could just go back to the beach and the peace and joy I had there.”
Still, I’ve learned that true peace, lasting peace, comes from Christ and that while circumstances and places can remind us of this peace, it is ultimately Christ, not our physical place, that brings true peace.
This peace is not without wrestling and surrender to God. This peace is not brought on my own strength, but it is the peace given by Christ, not as the world gives, and beyond any of my own understanding. He, himself is our peace. How much more will this peace be when we are with Christ forever, and heaven and earth continually praise him for all eternity? It is in these places, these pockets of the earth where we experience a small piece of what it’s like in heaven. Let us not forget His goodness, his peace, his worthiness of praise.
All the earth, through wrestling and joy, let us seek the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding. All the earth, praise the Lord.
Live in a place of receiving the joy that brings peace.
sarah's heart 