This past weekend I spent the day at the beach with a friend from my childhood, a dear friend but one I do not see very often. It was just the two of us and we had a marvelous time doing absolutely nothing. We spent the day on the beach relaxing in the sun. Pure delight! I actually relaxed with my head down, eyes closed, not even facing the water! Those of you who are moms know what a rare thing this is, to have no worries of where your sand covered munchkins are or what they are doing, not scanning the water thinking, "Could there be sharks?" (I have a shark phobia. I'm neurotic).
My friend and I laughed a lot this weekend as we shared memories. She was the friend that I did things with that if my daughter ever does I will really want to send her away to some cloister. They weren't regrettable things or shameful things just mischievous, life endangering things. For those of you who have been in my Jewels of His Crown seminar I will sum it up by saying we are both bright sapphires! Sparks were always flying.
One summer her and I spent our days exploring all the country roads we could find in an old, beat up, blue Volkswagen Rabbit. The only problem was we were both only 14 and unlicensed (Dad, I am so very sorry!). Another summer we spent our nights sneaking out of her upstairs window (yes, we even put pillows in the bed to look like we were there) , scurrying down a tree, meeting two other friends and spending the night four wheeling (all of us on one, mind you) all over our county.
Now as moms we both do the appropriate thing and start out talking about that summer in mock horror saying things like, "Can you imagine if we had crashed, no one would have known where we were" or "if our kids ever...." but it only takes about three syllables before we are remembering lying under the stars in the giant field we loved, or the sheer thrill and triumph of making it back into her bedroom undiscovered. It was the stuff books are made of.
We had a great time sharing memories in the sun.
When we finally made it back to our hotel after our long day at the beach, I went to take a shower and noticed I had made a very crucial sunscreen error. I had somehow forgotten my entire neck and it was bright red. Making matters worse I must have placed my hand on my neck immediately after applying sunscreen to the rest of my body because I had a perfectly shaped, white hand print smack dab in the middle of my neck. It looked absolutely ridiculous. My friend, being the dear friend she is, laughed hysterically upon seeing it.
After throwing her a nasty look reminiscent of our Junior High days I went back into the bathroom to try to work some magic with make-up (didn't help) and in the middle of a brush stroke started thinking of the times in scripture when it talks about God's hand being upon His people. I don't think I would usually have such a profound thought in this type of situation but something about being with someone who remembers the time you refused to answer the teacher who called you Jesse after you had repeatedly asked her to call you Jessica, makes me mushy and sentimental. So there I stood, foundation brush in hand, laughing at the literal picture He gave me in my crazy sunburn, finding joy in the fact that His hand is upon me. His hand has been on me my entire life, His hand has formed me and shaped me. It is still doing its job today, just as it has done for all of my yesterdays. He placed it on me to make me holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1). It was a wonderful thought at the end of a perfect weekend.
When we finally made it to bed that night, way later than my 30 something body is accustomed to, I found myself praying, thanking God for His goodness in my life, thanking Him for the people who love me, who have helped make me who I am. I spent a few moments rejoicing in the fact that He is my God and I am His. His hand was upon me during those very wonderful summer nights when I should have been home in bed instead of risking my life on a 4 wheeler. He held me and was molding me as I puttered around in a car I had no business driving and he continues to hold me as I, even today, turned 34. He is still my God and He still holds me.
Perhaps this isn't all that horribly profound, perhaps I'm just writing out of the nostalgia of the weekend or my hormone level today. Perhaps that is all it is, but today I'm going to go with it. I am going to enjoy that fact that my God's hand is on me and He holds me.
As you go about this very hot, humid day I hope you also remember that His hand is upon you. Let's live like those who are held.
On an additional note, I also hope you remember to do a good job with your sunscreen. Nothing ruins a nice outfit like a hand print on the neck.
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