Why the beach is AWESOME!

I love the beach. The beach and I have had a roller coaster type relationship. I go through phases where I love the beach and others when I wonder why anyone ever goes there. As a kid I loved the beach. My family went often and I have so many wonderful memories from it. Then, as teenager, I was not so thrilled about myself so I didn't so much like the idea of me in a bathing suit in front of hundreds of people. Then as lost some weight in my senior year and college and I loved the beach again. I went all of the time - it was so relaxing to just lay there and sleep or hang out with my friends.

Then, I became a mom. With that came extra weight and my love for the beach went away. (see the pattern of self consciousness and my feeling towards the beach) I began to use my children as the excuse though because it just wasn't safe for them there. All of the cars and weird people, and not to mention all of the creepy sea life that posed a terrible threat to their safety! How silly was I that I would use my kids to hide my real excuse for not going to the beach.

I finally gave in and figured - I better let them experience it once or twice in their life or they will be missing out so one afternoon we went - and I was sold. I put aside how awful I look in a bathing suit and it was so amazing.

We went to the beach again today and I was laying there watching the 3 boys that have stressed me out to the max this week, be able to do all of the things I have been telling them to stop doing . They were finally able to run and scream and roll all over - without worrying about getting in trouble. I figured - what a freeing feeling that must be. I wondered if they even realized that was happening. The only thing that changed was the setting and that changed everything for their little worlds.

How cool will it be when we get to heaven. I wonder if our Father will sit back and just laugh seeing us be able to do everything that we always wanted to do in complete innocence and joy. Not that we will be doing things that we get in trouble for anywhere else, but just to finally be ourselves and live life forever with out all of the restrictions and limitations that our sin and this earth place on us. To live and know that we make our Father smile just being with Him.

Oh Lord, thank you that you do not hold back anything good for us. Thank you for preparing a place for us to one day just run and be in your presence and finally experience real freedom!