Doing Hard Things

As I sat on the shore of the ocean yesterday morning, I listened. The sounds of the ocean captivate me. I find great peace on the shore. Sitting in silence and stillness with the awe and wonder of God’s creation refuels me. I need the time to connect my heart with His and remind my head that He is with me. Then I am better able to move through life with Him, especially when I am navigating hard things.

My life before this leg of my journey has mainly been connected to the Deep South along the La-Ms Gulf Coast. My New England temporary home is a 5-minute walk to the North Atlantic shoreline. The North Atlantic Coast is vastly different, but I am drawn to this water just the same.

The beach ~ any beach ~ is my happy place, as they say.

The beach here is made of shells, not the soft blanket of sand I'm accustomed to. As I meander along the rugged shore, layers and layers of shells carpet my path, from the water's edge to the grassy land above. It's very different than any other beach I've visited and a great place to reflect and explore.

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Yesterday morning, I made my 3-mile Rosary walk along the streets, admiring the beautiful homes and landscape in full bloom. Then I landed at the beach and rested. Leaning on a huge rock at a small cliff of boulders, I watched the gentle flow of water. It seemed to kiss the lowest shells as if quenching their thirst.

The only sounds were mere whispers of wind and water. A bird sat perfectly still on the lone remaining post from a broken pier. My feathered friend seemed to also be absorbing the calm and reflecting on life. Peace filled my heart.

Then the setting was affected by an unknown source beyond my vision and earshot. The water began to push forcefully, suddenly seeming to be in a rush. It was as if it needed to reach more shells that were stacked deeper on the path. The waves began making their way up the rocks closer to me. It didn't feel like an interruption, though. Neither the bird nor I moved a muscle. We simply accepted and watched.

I felt prompted to pray for whoever was on the giving side of the waves we were receiving. Whatever created the wake that was reverberating at my feet was now connected to me without them even knowing it.

Within minutes, all was calm and quiet again.

Moments like this are why I love sitting by the ocean. It’s where I feel God and his vast presence and his unfathomable creativity. There’s a myriad of life under the water. There’s a plethora of life breathing all around me. So much could easily be missed if I were not fully present to these moments.

I could easily allow fear to interrupt: fear of what caused the wake, fear of the creatures swimming around in the deep, fear of the dangers lurking in the nearby city, fear of the future, and on and on. So many times in the past, I let fear win.

Not anymore. I'll keep working at being open to new adventures, opportunities, and challenges. I'll stay on the journey of peace and serenity with Jesus!

Fear of hard things and fear of the unknown drive out courage and trap us. It makes us terrified, and we become less effective and less present. Fear of God helps us recognize, appreciate, and absorb His majesty and might. We aren't terrified of His power; we live in deep respect and witness of Him. We draw from His courage and, less often, bow to anxiety and avoidance.

In the Mass Gospel Readings this week, we hear Jesus and the prophets teach about doing hard things.

• fear no one (Mt 10)

• see the beam in your own eye before worrying about the splinter in others' (Mt 7)

• choose the narrow gate and constricted road (Mt 7)

• do not toil in vain (Isaiah 49)

• visit the sand but don't build a house on it (Mt 7)

• believe the Lord can reach out His hand and make you clean (Mt 8)

• trust that His Word has the power to heal (Mt 8)

• love the Lord more than your parents, children, and grandchildren (Mt 10)

• take up your cross and follow Him (Mt 10)

• lose your life for His sake (Mt 10)

We can't help trembling in awe when we try to take in the vastness of all that is God and His great wisdom.

Make more moments with just you and Him. Walk outside without uttering a word. Be still and know He is with you. (Ps 46) Look at the sky, ocean, plants, and animals; all borne by His hands ~ just like you. (Is 49)

💜💜💜