For my friend, Paula

Some of you may know Paula from reading her blog, she has an amazing one, and she posts on Mondays on The Simple Woman's Daybook .  Today is the one year anniversary of when her wonderful husband, Richard passed away, and I wanted to take some time to show her I love and support her.

I live close by the ocean, I can see the Sambro Lighthouse from my driveway.  And I know that Paula loves the ocean, so Paula, if you were here for a visit, today I would take you for a walk on the seashore and show you the places I like to go when I need some time to just be, to relax,  or to cry, or to shout out to God. 

This is a little walk for Paula.  With some random thoughts about God included, as I often think about writing these things down after a day at the sea shore and usually forget!

 

First, we will walk down this trail, which is actually a driveway, called Gannet's Lane.  This is the easiest part of the whole walk, but it is long and very hot through here.  It smells wonderful, like raspberries, sunshine, beach roses and salty sea air. 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that we have reached the top of that long gravel driveway, we are going to have to shimmy down this cliff.  That's how we have to get to the good stuff!  Like a good friend  you  I will go first, Paula.   To get to the GOD stuff, it usually takes hard work and perseverance!  We can't just sit there and hope He shows up.  We need to take the time to have a relationship with Him, share our hearts, our feelings, our dreams.  And to work at not sinning and resisting temptation.  He wants us to share all this with Him, He is our best friend!

 

 

 

My gosh, this is steep!!!  I am looking back up from where we walked down, I don't know about you, but my knees hurt!! 

 

 

 

Let's just plonk ourselves down on the rocks and watch the seals.  These guys are trying to get warm on the rocks, but there are lots in the water who watch us carefully to see what we are up to.  This is where I like to sit and just watch and stay for a good while and not think about anything, but the water, the surf, the endless sky and the seals.  So graceful and quick in the water, but once they try to get on land, they are clumsy and awkward and slow.  This reminds me of my walk with God.  Without Him, when I choose to do things my way, I am clumsy and awkward, and find it hard to move forward without getting swept away by the currents ( LIFE!)  With God, even though sometimes things can be difficult and challenging, when we walk with Him, we are graceful and swift, and can enjoy the things He has given us. ( So there you go...be a seal!)

 

 

 

Look out straight in front of you, the sea is endless, and stretches out for what seems like eternity in front of you.  I wonder if someone else is sitting on the shore of the countries on the other side of this big ocean and wondering what people on this side are up to?  The sky is huge and wide and it all makes us feel so small.  The ocean is calm today, every day it seems to have a different mood.  Sort of like people!  The ocean is immense...just like God, His love and care of us is never ending, all enveloping, and we can't escape Him.  When we try, He rushes in to bring us back, close to Him where we belong.  Just like the ocean waves rush to the shore in an endless cycle.

 

 

On stormy days the ocean is still beautiful, sometimes even more than the calm days.  You can see the colour of the water when the waves curl over, and the sound of the surf hitting the rocks can be thundering and you can feel them hit the shore.  It is powerful.  God is powerful, and God calms the stormy seas in our lives, if we just reach out to Him, and have faith and hope.  He makes the waters calm, with gentle breezes to life our sails.  (Read Matthew 8:23-27) and Matthew 14:22-32)

 

 

 

We move on, climbing higher, up towards the bunkers.  The view is getting even better from here, and it is hard to keep walking forward, because you want to just sit and watch the ocean all day!  It is a hard climb, but it is worth the work!  A relationship with God is hard work, but so worth it!  We have to keep moving forward, even if we can only take teeny tiny steps.  God meets us and helps us up.  And we don't take any step on our own.  Sometimes, I feel that I can't muster the courage or energy for another step, sometimes I think God gently leads us on, taking our hand, but not walking so far ahead that we can't keep up. Sometimes, I think He carries us.

 

 

 

 

Finally we get up almost to the top, and we have to walk very close to this crevice.  It is steep and covered with jagged rocks, and on stormy days, they are slippery from the rain and salt spray.  We need to be careful walking here! There are lots of things in life that can trip us up, and threaten to overtake us. We need to keep our eyes on God, so we can walk in His straight path and try so hard to not wander off it. One step off, and we could be down this crevice.  I'm not sure about you, but I have dangled over the edge of crevices before, holding on for dear life. 

 

"Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in You." ~Psalm 25:5 NLT

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got here just as the tide was coming in!  You can hear the water thunder as it is forced to go through the narrow skiffs.  The noise is incredible!  ( Hey, didn't I tell you not to stand so close?)

 

 

 

 

As we walk up the scrubland to the bunker, we see all sorts of flowers that are blooming, and grow in the most amazing places.  The salt and wind make it hard for much to grow, but those things that love it here, take your breath away!  This is a pitcher plant, it catches flies and insects in the leaves, which look like a pitcher, below the plant at the ground.  God brings beauty to our lives, in places we least expect it, and at times we least expect it.

 

 

 

This field is covered in pitcher plants!  There are hardly any bugs here at all!

 

A tiny blue harebell pokes her head out of the scrub soil.

 

What a surprise, a dragon's mouth orchid!!!  These grow in the boggy parts of the trail, and are tiny and delicate, but still able to withstand the fierce weather that often strikes this part of the coast.  Don't underestimate how strong you are, with God!  It might feel like you can't go on, but hang on and let God do the hard work, and follow Him.  He makes you strong!

 

"I cling to You; Your right hand holds me securely" Psalm 63:8 NLT

 

 

 

We finally make it to the bunker!  Well, this is what we call them, they are look outs, built in World War 2 to watch out for enemy ships and submarine periscopes.  I am out of breath after walking up this high, but the ocean seems even bigger from up here!

 

 

 

Still standing after 70 years, as straight and true as when they were built. People have spray painted and used them for parties ( and I didn't get photos but some of the graffiti, though it is bad to vandalize, is amazing and takes some talent to create! Sometimes, on the outside we may be very strong, but on the inside, we are crumbling and scared and full of sorrow.  Don't fill that up with graffiti and bad stuff, fill that up with the beauty that God gives you glimpses of every day! They are there if you look, they may be very tiny, but they are there!

 

 

 

Ahhh, let's sit here and just watch the ocean and the tiny sailboats, and the gulls flying past, and listen to the buoy bells clanging and the horns going off.  it is always windy up here, so this is a nice spot to rest and just be still and take everything in.   Sometimes, God wants you to just be still and listen to Him. ( Psalm 107:29-30)

 

 

 

 

A different beach on the south shore, where we could just sit all day, collect sea glass and be still.  Same ocean, but so very different in appearance.

 

 

 

 

Let's collect more sea glass! We have competitions to see who can find the most unique piece.  That blue there is good!

 

 

 

This is an interesting shape.

 

 

 

Wow, a bottle top with part of the lid still attached!  This might win it!

 

Nope, this one wins the prize, because love always wins! You cannot go wrong with God's love, and the love of family and friends. 

 

"Dear friends, let us continue  to love one another, for love comes from God.  Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God" ~1 John 4:7, NLT

 

 

 

Sending lots of love your way, Paula!

 

I hope you enjoyed your little walk along the sea, Paula ( and those of you who tagged along!)

 

"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other" ~1 John 4 :11 NLT