spoiled again

Miss Rita has spoiled me this week. 

This was the view from our lunch table today. 

Key Lime pie is waiting for me this evening.

As we were leaving the Oceanic I told her I wanted to stick my feet in the sand one more time. She looked at me and said "You need one last walk on the beach." I agreed. As I walked toward the ocean the tears and prayers started. I walked for an hour.

 I found these Thursday evening when we went to the beach. I don't remember ever seeing a black one. I thanked God for giving me the gift of two "perfect" shells that were different colors from those Bill and I found last May. 

Today I walked a little slower. I stopped to enjoy the beauty in this pile of brokenness.

Continuing my walk, I found this shell. 

It is a visual reminder of a truth I know, one God reinforced Thursday, but I was made even more fully aware of today-there will be beauty and wholeness in my future. As a matter of fact, there is beauty and wholeness in my life now. It simply does and will look different than it did in the past. 

And as I was soaking in that truth, I found another "perfect" shell that is a little different.

I kept walking, kept praying, kept listening. 

And found these two gems just steps apart.

They don't have any of the gray or black 

the others have. 

These are what I am familiar with, what I look for.

I felt God encouraging me to keep walking,

 to keep seeing the beauty, healing, wholeness 

He provides. 

Sometimes it will be very different.

 Sometimes it will be more familiar. 

Accept it, enjoy it, rejoice in it-

regardless of what it looks like.

The chorus of this song played in my head as I walked today.

There is a joy in the journey...

Amen