“For her the ocean was more than a dream, it was a place she needed to visit to find herself. And when she returned to the city, you could see the sun in her eyes, the wind in her hair, and taste in the infinite salt on her lips.” ― José Chaves

I don’t know who José Chaves had in mind when he wrote those lines, but they could’ve easily been written to describe me. My family knows me well. They know how my heart longs for uninterrupted spent time near the ocean. My favorite pastime in this world is walking on a secluded beach, a praise song under my breath, the sound of the relentless surf in my ears, my eyes scouring the beach for washed up treasures; sea glass, broken shells, bits of twisted, sun-bleached drift wood.

An Early Birthday Gift

Knowing exactly what my heart needed, my husband gave me an early birthday gift. He drove us seven and half hours so I could visit the ocean, and once again experience long beach walks with my Heavenly Father and rediscover myself.

For some unexplainable reason, I am drawn to broken things. I save broken dishes and glassware. I treasure broken seashells and tumbled sea glass.

My eyes see beauty still in the broken. I see the way the light shines through rescued treasures. The artist in me collects, selects, and repurposes the broken pieces into mosaic art.

Perfect beach glass pieces are ones that have been tossed, tumbled, and polished and are no longer rough around the edges. When I find glass that is still sharp, I toss it back into the sea to be discovered another day by a fellow beachcomber.

During my recent visit to the beach, I made one exception. I discovered a clear piece of glass that was almost smoothly polished. One edge was slightly sharp. As I held it my hand, I knew this piece just needed more time to tumble in the surf and let the sand rub away the roughness. As I lifted my hand to throw it back into the waves, I hesitated.

God met me on the beach that morning. I dropped the piece of glass into my mesh bag full of treasures, looked out over the expanse of blue water and endless sky and felt wrapped up in His love.

God is still at work

God, the Master Designer, is still working in my life. He teaches me daily to love myself, to love others. He reminds me that I am never alone. He meets me everyday exactly where I am, and is my ever-present help on days when life is hard. He fills my heart with a daily desire to make His name known. Even at age 58, He still plants big dreams in my mind. Day by day He guides me in making these God-sized dreams a reality. Like the not-quite-smooth-enough sea glass, God is still polishing my rough spots and uses my brokenness for his glory. His love for me is eternal!

Psalm 138:8 says it well.

The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. (NLT)

The LORD will accomplish what concerns me. (NAS)

You will do everything you have promised; LORD your love is eternal. Complete the work you have begun. (GNT)