I was supposed to attend a yoga class on the beach this past Saturday. I thought it might be a good way to relax and calm myself before Sunday's sermon, but a communication snafu with the woman I was going with resulted in us both missing the class. Still, I decided I would head to the beach anyway. I was already dressed -- at 7:45 a.m. -- and in the car in the direction of the beach and wide awake. I hadn't been to Anna Marie Island before near Bradenton Beach and thought that maybe I could find the class. If I did, that would be great! If not, that would be fine too. I figured I would have at least found my way to the beach. Suffice it to say, I didn't find the class. But I decided to park and walk a little bit anyway.
As I was walking along the beach, I just knew that some revelation to something would come. I was even looking for one. I just knew God would talk to me and tell me some secrets that I hadn't been told before. Because what better place to share than on a semi-isolated beach with the waves lapping at the shore. I remember even asking, "Okay God, don't you have something to say to me? Shouldn't I be thinking of something right now or shouldn't you give me something profound to share in a sermon or something? Shouldn't I come away with something great to write about about my time on the beach?"
Then, in a still small voice, I heard: "Just be."
I didn't even know what to make of that at first. How do you just be?
But as I sat on the rocks a little longer, playing with my camera, it dawned on me: God just wanted me to enjoy his presence, enjoy being a part of what he created. I had passed a sandhill crane earlier standing at the water's edge looking out into the surf. It seemed to be taking it all in. It was just "being."
So, I followed suit and did the same.
How amazing that the following day in church, right before I was to preach, the worship leader invited everyone to participate in a centering prayer that called for us to "just be".
I guess you could say that was my revelation!
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