It wasn’t that long ago that I was living at the beach and enjoying days filled with walks on the beach after work, a cup of coffee and breakfast on the pier, or shopping at my favorite beach thrift stores. On the days I was off of work, I would either be in my favorite chair on the beach with a cooler full of snacks for the day, or I would be at the pool floating on my favorite flamingo themed float. Some days I would make my way to the local seafood market and pick up some fresh seafood that just came in off of the boat.
My life during this time was extremely blessed in many ways. My youngest daughter was getting married and we were all busy planning the wedding. The world was shifting and moving in ways that I was not aware were happening. During this time, I was also praying for God to send me a life partner who would be equal to me, someone who would be a forever life partner, best friend and who had to love Coldplay as much as I. My days were filled with an abundance of blessings and looking back, I didn’t see the signs of a change coming. I was content, in control of my life and I had a plan.
We all know how our plans go. We can make one all day long but when God has a plan that is carved out for you, we don’t always know the details and often times – we don’t even know the plan was a plan! We have to trust that His plan is better than the one we have, and based on my own experience, it is always better than what we tried to design for ourselves.
Since January of 2022, my life has changed in so many ways and I often questioned God on my path, and many times I became angry at Him but I never once tried to run from what I was learning in the process. I dug my heels in, stayed with my feet firmly planted on the often shaken grounds I was standing on and I faced the giants I was up against. Oh the lessons I have learned over time.
In the same month as I just mentioned, I met my now husband. If you have read any of my blog post, you will already know about how we met. It is no secret, I was his boss but hey, I never asked God to send me someone that I had to manage as an employee. I simply asked Him to send me the one He had planned for me. Remember how I said that we don’t always know God’s plan? Well, this is a perfect example.
In the three years that we have been together, we have only been married for four months. To us, it feels like we have been together for a lifetime. We are best friends. While we are opposite in some areas of our lives, how we grew up, and the life we lived prior to meeting each other, we are finding our way together but with Jesus Christ at the helm of all we do.
My husband has always known that I love the beach. He knows that being near the water is calming to me, and it brings me a specific kind of peace within. That peace does not replace my relationship with Jesus, it actually helps me become closer to Him. When I stand along the shore and I see the way the waves kiss the sand, or a seagull will dip down in the ocean for a meal, or that tiny little clam digging itself under the wet sand, or the sand crab that digs his hole and then throws sand out of it to make his ‘home’, I know that only God could of created that. The same way He created you and I.
In case you missed reading my other blogs, I will refresh you for a moment. We moved from North Carolina to Michigan (his home state) so we could assist in helping take care of his mother who has been dealing with an illness since 2023. Since being there, we have endured some hardships. Some of them, I have never mentioned until this blog post. Our relationship was tested by outside sources that wanted to ruin anything we had built together, several of his family members were involved in a drunk driving incident that claimed the life of our niece, Alanah (8yrs) and our nephew, Zayn (4yrs) and in 2022, my husbands youngest sister, Vanessa went missing and her body was found brutally murdered, and left in an abandoned field in Detroit, Michigan. The drunk driver was sentenced to prison for the death of our niece and nephew. The murder of my sister in law is still an ongoing investigation.
In the midst of all that we were processing on the daily (and still processing), we also planned a wedding. I was sick during our wedding and three days later I ended up in the hospital. My children took care of the wedding planning at the end, Derek and I said ‘I do’, and we continued on with life. Due to being in the hospital, we did not take a honeymoon but honestly, every day we are together feels like a honeymoon.
Through all of the things that have happened, I kept longing for a peaceful walk along the shore. I longed for the sun kissing my face. The winters in Michigan are brutal and the sun rarely shines. My Vitamin D levels have been extremely low and I am the palest I have ever been in my life. My mind was screaming for the North Carolina coast! This is my home, the place that I belong. My mama was bringing me to this beach when I was a baby in her womb. I have grown up here and I have seen this beach when it was so boring (as a teenager) that the only thing to do was walk to the pier and get ice cream.
In the few days we have been here, we have walked hand in hand along the shore, picked up seashells together, ate at all of my favorite places and tried a few new ones, played putt putt, rode the ferry to Fort Fisher, and relaxed on the beach with our toes in the sand.
I do not want to leave but I know we have to go back to Michigan for a while. We will be back soon and we both are looking forward to a longer stay. We are thankful for the beautiful moments that God provided. We watched a storm from our balcony and I was able to get some amazing photos from that. They were shared with North Carolinas Weather Authority page on social media. I have posted the link so you can view them here https://www.facebook.com/ncweatherauthority/posts/pfbid02UJnjM62mfFD4gV4Pw2sguaMhujTFKtUghohgQcBrRBpPy1MUzz1LFTFVSA9Ep7ual
There is a lot to unpack when you go to the beach, and when you come here, the emotional unpack is no different. There is a silent rhythm between the waves. You have to be still long enough to hear it. From the morning walks to watch the sun rise, to finding sea shells, or walking in the evening as the sun begins to set, the calmness it brings is one you cannot describe to anyone. It is something one must feel themselves.
If you are looking for peace, may you find it in the places that bring you calmness, happiness and a sense of self cleansing. May you be blessed to enjoy such a place without all the ‘noise’ of life.
Peace, Love & Happiness,
Christian 🩷
The Sun Will Set To Rise 