The ocean is my sanctuary. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or lost, I can go and spend 10 minutes standing on the shore, and I am filled with a calm that undoubtedly comes directly from my Heavenly Father. With the breaking of every wave, every breeze that tousles my hair, and the squawk of every seagull, I can feel God’s presence. I was drawn to the beach before work this morning, and the photo above shares just a glimpse of what I experienced in the 5 minutes I had to stand there and be with the Lord.

In so many ways life is like a kind of kaleidoscope. A turn of the perspective this way or that and the entire picture can change entirely. As I have said many times before, the sheer volume of blessings in my life is overwhelming. When my perspective is aligned with God’s, I can see the wide array of shapes and colors, all working together to form an indescribably beautiful picture. This past weekend we were blessed with some time with very dear, lifelong friends.

I first met my friend Michelle in the early 1990’s in Durham, NC, where we were both working for the same bank. Our friendship has been one that has always run deep and been so natural and easy. She and I shared a little ritual during times of difficulty, or when one of us was having a hard time overcoming a specific problem. We would go someplace quiet and a little remote, two helium filled balloons, two scraps of paper, and two pens in hand. We would each take time to write down whatever was causing the angst or struggle…whatever it was we needed to let go and give up to God. Then we would tie our scraps of paper to our balloons, take time to talk about what we’d written down, and then release the balloons together. We’d always stand there and watch them rise up and away until we could barely make them out in the distance.

It may sound simplistic or trite, but for me it has always been a very meaningful experience, and has always been a very effective way of placing a physical act of release to a mental or emotional struggle. Well, this past weekend, Michelle and her husband came into town for a work-related event, and we were able to spend some time together while they were here. It was the first time my dear friend and I had seen one another in over twenty years, and it was as if not even a day had gone by since our last meeting. We ate lunch together, along with our wonderful husbands, and then we drove down to the beach where this dear lady and I, once again, were able to walk through that special ritual.

Though the times we’d been able to do this in the past were always special, this time was even more so. As I stood there at the edge of the ocean next to this incredible person, I was overwhelmed with the love God has for me and all the ways He is continually showing me that love. All weekend long, my kaleidoscope was filled with stunning colors and patterns, and my gratitude was endless. I tied only one word to my balloon that day, and every time I feel myself sliding backwards towards the abyss that the word cleaves in my soul, I can see that balloon rising high into the sky, and I can actually feel the weight on my heart diminish along with it.

I heard something once that has really stuck with me…we are all constantly at war. The flesh remains in a constant state of war against the spirit. As children of God, we are no less tempted by the things in and of the world. However, we have been blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit…this gift brings guidance, peace, strength, and the love of God. We need only choose to seek God first in EVERY SINGLE THING, and that gift will guide us down the path God wants us to travel.

As one of my favorite Christian songs states, “He never promised that the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb…He never offered our victories without fighting, but He said help would always come in time. Just remember when you’re standing in the valley of decision, and the adversary says give in…just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again” (words and music by Gerald Crabb, arr. by Bradley Knight).

“I, the LORD, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, to give each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10 AMP