We all have a list a mile-long of things we need to do.  We may also allow ourselves to be consumed by things of the past or worrying about the future.  However, instead of being distracted by these things, let’s focus on the here and now.  Be present.  It doesn’t sound hard until your mind is racing in a million different directions.  It becomes difficult, then, to quiet the noise of the “what ifs” or even the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” that tries to take over at times.  We have to practice being mindful and being present in the here and now.

This past week, my husband and I took a trip to sunny Florida.  For close to a year, I’ve been reading about Anna Maria Island and how beautiful the sugar sand is supposed to be against the Carribean-like waters of the Gulf Coast.  Knowing I will be setting out on a new adventure in my career this coming week, I took the opportunity to celebrate the new and exciting things happening in my life.  We took a semi-spontaneous trip (we made sure to book an Airbnb before departure) to explore the island before school is out for the summer and before Florida heats up like an oven at 450 degrees!

As we traveled, I received a troubling phone call.  Great!  Just what I needed to zap the joy and. happiness right out of me as I set out on vacation.  Boy, I’m telling you. The enemy tries hard.  Do not let him win!

And so, I didn’t.

I was determined to still enjoy this vacation!

It took a lot to reign my thoughts in on several occasions while on this trip.  However, dwelling on something I cannot change will only keep my head and heart in an uproar.  I had to quiet these thoughts and focus on awareness and enjoying the here and now.  These moments won’t come again.  Once we live them, they are gone forever, never to return.  We can fill these moments with dread, worry, and ruminating over things we cannot change, OR we can take deep breaths focusing on being mindful and bringing our thoughts back to the beauty that surrounds us as we make memories together.

So, we packed up the little hardtop convertible Volvo complete with beach chairs, umbrella, sunscreen, and cooler and headed to the beach!  We did just like we did in Hawaii a few years ago and explored several beaches to find our favorite one. Bean Point was our favorite spot to see the sun setting.  It is literally the endpoint on the island.  While it’s not safe to be in the water due to the rip currents there, it is a gorgeous place to sit on the beach to watch the sun slowly drop on the horizon until it is seemingly swallowed up by the sea.

On this particular day, we woke up to rain.  Not just rain.  Thunderstorms with a tornado warning in Florida.  Oh boy.  My dad (oh how I love my parents) even called that morning to prepare us, just in case we hadn’t been watching the weather report.   Thankfully, though, the weather wasn’t as severe as we were afraid we were in for, and the rain stopped but was still cloudy as we made our way onto the soft white sand.  We had this need to dig our toes in the sand and be “grounded.”  We walked along the shore looking for beautiful shells and sand dollars, when suddenly the sun appeared!  It peeked out from behind some clouds that were rolling away, and we experienced being sun-kissed for the most perfect 45 minutes!  The sun reflecting off of the water revealed its sea foam green and emerald colors.  Ah, this is what people were raving about.  While not quite like the Caribbean, it still helped restore my soul!  I found myself strolling along listening to the waves crashing in and taking pictures of the beautiful colors in the sky silencing the inner turmoil.  I was finally present in that moment.  No worries, no cares, no troubles rushing in, no thoughts racing and tormenting me.  Complete and total peace washed over me like the ocean water rushing to the shore and soaking the powdery sand.

I left the beach that night refreshed and reassured of the beauty that surrounds me in God’s amazing world.  Just as things looked cloudy and bleak as I started my day, God reassured my heart and soul with the way things turned around.  Still desiring to see the shore, I took off for the beach even when the weather didn’t look promising at first.  I would have missed such a blessing had we decided to just call it a rain-day and stay indoors.  God revealed such beauty when the clouds rolled away and the sun appeared painting the sky as only He can do.   He will do this in your life, too!  Don’t give up.  Give him a chance to show you that things won’t always be dreary, dark, and bleak.  Sunshine awaits!

Be present, yes, and give all of your troubles and worries to Him.

I do not doubt that the prayers of my parents helped calm my troubled heart while on this trip as well.  There’s nothing like praying parents, and I’m so thankful for mine!