Oh, How I Need You, Lord

Isaiah 26:9 -- "I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You."

The engine pops and sighs and loud beeping informs me that I have left my keys in the ignition, so I quickly reach in and pull them out. I check all my pockets to make sure I have all my little shark's teeth containers, lip balm and what-have-you as I turn around and head toward the board walk.  I sigh, too.  I have waited for this moment all week.

Yesterday's hall from Mickler's Landing

I can feel the warm on my shoulders. I smell the salt in the air. The minute my toes hit the sand I can breath again. Looking out over the deep blue I scout for shell quashes and decide on combing to the south today. It's a good low tide. Leaving the old shrimp boat Fortuna [lost to a hurricane in the 30's] exposed with broken netting sticking up from the sand like dirty blond hair that needs a trim.

My eyes immediately find a Hammerhead tooth and I pop the top off my little vile to tuck it neatly away for safe keeping. I smile to myself. I have longed for this moment and in spite of every effort to make it out here before today - Thursday - this is the first opportunity for me to launch my escape. I can feel my whole body smile. I talk with the Lord as I walk into the briney mists that blow in on the breeze. [I have learned to do this silently, people look at me funny when I do it out loud].

We spent two and some odd hours out at Mickler's Landing. Tyler splashed in the surf while I hunted for teeth and sting-ray mouth plates. We talk about moving up north where we can enjoy snow, mountains and fresh streams with Salmon in them - where my doctor says my battered metabolism has a shot at healing some -  but I don't think we'll ever get there. I think my soul would feel claustrophobic.

No matter how busy my week gets - or how unfit the weather - or what season it might be on the calendar - I sneak in my beach time. It's like the verse in Isaiah for me. I breath it in. My hair sticks together with salt and beads of sand and broken coquina cling to my legs and feet. I feel God here more than anywhere on earth. I see Him in the waves, in the flotsam, in the gulls that beg shoe-bees [tourists] for potato chips and gold fish crackers. In the dunes where we rope off new sea turtle nests and anxiously await the young to hatch. I walk and talk with my Lord.  My spirit seeks Him and I long for these moments. I diligently plan to take them and break with God - no matter what's going on in my life. Without these precious salty minutes in silent prayer - I would be a flower attempting to bloom without water - shriveled up and parched in the baking heat.