We walked down to the beach after breakfast yesterday and it was pretty windy and cool. Mr. FixIt wants to fish with his new rod and reel I bought him for his birthday, but it’s been so chilly this week…it just hasn’t happened. I told him it didn’t matter to me…if he wanted to bring the stuff out to the beach and fish, I was game for anything. He thought about it for a bit and said, “Wanna drive up to Corolla and see the horses?” I said, “Wanna take your bait with you and fish when we get there?” He lit up! Win Win!
We packed a picnic lunch and headed north on the island to where the paved road turns to sand. The first time Mr. FixIt brought me out on the beach, I was scared to death! I looked out at the waves and through an optical illusion, they looked much higher than my truck and I was just sure we were going to get stuck in the sand. Or worse…swept out to sea.
Mr. FixIt drove on the beach his whole life so this is second nature to him. I trust him explicitly. And, accidents can happen. Since that first time out there, I’ve done a lot of work on fear and anxiety and trust. And, since nothing happened to me the first time, I figured my chances of dying were now reduced to 50/50. Besides, God tells us to cast all our fears on Him. So I threw great big handfuls of fear over to Jesus and He caught them…like He always does!
It was wonderful! We no sooner got out on the sand till we saw one of the wild horses. I told Mr. FixIt that God puts that one there for the scaredy cats so when they back out after 100 feet, they can still say they saw a wild horse. We didn’t see any more this time and none of the babies. We drove up the beach a ways and parked the truck along the high tide mark. Mr. FixIt got his chair and gear out. I really don’t like the chairs we brought with us. They are lighter and easier to carry out to the beach, but they are so uncomfortable. I decided to sit in the truck with the window down where I could be out of the wind, yet still hear and smell the ocean and be comfortable.
I knitted and watched the waves. I’ve learned how to knit without looking so I can multitask now. Mr. FixIt came in every once in a while to warm up or have a little something to eat. As we expected, fishing wasn’t any good, but we had a great time. He loves his new rod and reel and said it’s so much easier to cast which was the goal.
We finally gave up and went on the prowl for a treat. I got a kiddie cup of peach ice cream. I can remember my dad’s only sister…my Aunt Marge…making this delicacy in the summer when we would go to her farm for a visit. She was a remarkable cook and her ice cream was the best! This wasn’t anything like hers, but thinking of her, sitting on her front porch with Queenie, the Norwegian Elkhound at her feet made me smile with warm memories. Aunt Marge had a hand pump out on the side porch of her house. I have distinct memories of pumping a pitcher of water that was so cold and so sweet and pure it gave you shivers to drink it.
We came back to the condo and stretched out for a little snooze before heading to the sound to watch the sunset. I thought of you all and wished you could see it then remembered, I haven’t done a live FB video for a while so it set that up. A little glitch at the front because I forgot you couldn’t shot landscape…it had to be portrait. Once that was fixed, I chatted with a few of you as the sun set. That was lovely and really added to the magic of the evening.
Isn’t it amazing…I can stand on the Currituck Sound watching the sunset and bring it to you live. From a phone. A phone so powerful it knocks the socks off my first few home computers. The lunar landing module had less computer power than we carry around in our pocket. We are so hyper connected and that can be really bad. We never unplug and just “be” anymore. But, it can be beautiful…just like last night. Friends hanging out together and thanking God for technology and sunsets.
Life is beautiful…even in it’s supreme messiness.
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“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:11-13 ESV