Big thoughts from the Big Island

Last month I went with my man and a couple of our dear, vacation-loving friends to Hawaii and while I was there, floating in the ocean with my arms draped around a pool noodle, I had an encounter with God that I wanted to share with y'all.  Don’t you just love that He meets us right where we are—-even when that means we’re laying on our backs in the middle of a tropical ocean?!!!

But before I get to that part of the story, I thought I’d give you a glimpse into this short trip away that we so desperately needed. But first, you need to know…

We. Love. Hawaii!!!

We are not people who just think Hawaii is a nice place to go, but we LOVE it with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength!! The sunshine, beautiful beaches, and the aloha lifestyle that goes along with it, is just our vibe! With that being said, we’ve been to Oahu once, but every other trip has been Maui. Every time we consider trying another island we usually change our mind, mid planning, and say, ‘Let’s just go back to Maui. Usually when we go, we like to be able to stay long enough that we really get relaxed (like 3 weeks), but this time, we knew we would only have 8 days available pre-retirement, to get away for some rest after our big move.

Steve did most of the planning and found a great place on the Big Island so we decided, ‘what the heck, let’s try it and see what we think’. Honestly, I just felt like I will be happy wherever I can be with my feet sunk in white sand and the sun on my skin, with no schedule to keep or boxes to pack or move..

But, before I share about the God encounter, I thought I’d share some pics so you can get an idea of what our time there was like.

*Can you believe how stunning this beach is???

*Sweet Janet and I soaking up the sunshine.

*Beautiful sunset on palm trees.

*Hanging onto my man forever!

Our time was special. It was slow and relaxing and fun. We laughed a lot, ate a lot, and tried new beaches every day along with great food trucks and restaurants.  It was super fun, to say the least and my waistline as some extra girth to prove it…

(And….in case you’re wondering, Maui is still our favorite!)

One of the days, we tried to go to a beach that was in front of the oldest hotel on island, but what we didn’t know was that there was limited parking and by the time we got there (at 9:30am), they turned us away because the lot was full. That was frustrating….Janet had really wanted to go to this beach, so we decided the next day we would set our alarms and get up early so we’d be sure to get a spot! This was huge because who wants to set their alarm on vacation??? Not me!  But, by faith we believed Janet would be right—-and boy was she ever!!! We got there in time to get a spot (7am), and this beach was absolute perfection! It had everything that fit our criteria as a level 10 beach!—-Our only sadness was that we hadn’t come sooner in the week so that we could go back and enjoy it again. 

*Also, peep the ‘cling to what is good’ hat!

Anyway, we found our place and settled in, loving every part of what we could see and experience. As the sun got higher and our bodies got warmer, we made our way into the water with our pool noodles in hand so we could stay out and enjoy the waves longer. 

(Pro tip: take a noodle and you can go out past the point where the waves break and hang out for a super long time and not get exhausted from treading water—-it’ll be the best $4 you spend while you’re there!:)

As I was out there rolling around with the waves, this is where I felt the Spirit of God reminding me of a few things and the reason for this blogpost.  The first thing was this: Surrounded by this delightful water, the verse from Psalm 139:5 filled my heart and mind, 

“You hem me in behind and before; You have laid your hand upon me” came to mind.

I felt completely surrounded by Him…it was as if He was holding me in the water. And I’ll tell you what, that felt comforting for sure! What a gift to be held. In those moments, I knew that I was not in control, but I was being held by the One who holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17) and I was resting in the truth of it.

The next thing that came to mind was the cadence of the waves. There was motion and rhythm to them. Sometimes gentle and other times a little more intense.  And it got me thinking about the fact that all the things that happen in my life have passed through with the permission of God….ie, He has allowed them. There are certain rhythms to my life that He has made possible and available for me to experience, receive and enjoy.

Things like, the joy of marriage—-the gift of having a partner to do life with. Now is it always great? Nope, not even close. We get on each others nerves, we have unmet expectations with each other and we even hurt each other at times. That being said, it’s still a gift to my life. I have the privilege of belonging to another. Mike isn’t perfect but he’s my man…the one that I get to grow old with and learn what it means to serve, and give and receive love with. We get to dream together and watch each other get gray hair and wrinkles. haha 

Sometimes we coast, like those gentle waves, and other times we’re all stirred up, like the larger, more fierce ones.

The other thing I noticed as I was rocking about out there is that, like those gentle waves,  the cadence of my life right now is not dictated by a schedule. I literally get to choose how much time I will spend in the word, with friends, exercising (ok that doesn’t happen very often:)…but you know what I mean. I have a lot of flexibility in my days—this too is a gift from God to me, for now. 

That day, as I was floating in the water for about an hour, it was pure delight. Don’t get me wrong though, we had to time our getting in and out of the water just right so we wouldn’t get pelted by a huge wave on our way. But at the same time, I was stepping into the water with my friends and with my God. And I’m so thankful that I was slowed down enough in my heart and mind to listen, to receive his truth as comfort and sit in a couple of questions that were bubbling up in me.

Wanna hear what they were???

I’m so glad you asked:) Maybe, just maybe you’ll find some things bubbling up in you too as you consider what the cadence of your life is and take note that He is holding you too, right where you are! (I’m pretty sure you’re not floating in crystal blue water as you read this, but you could sure get a picture or video on your computer if you’d like to set the mood:)

So, here goes, like the noodle that kept me afloat that day….

What is it, or who is it, that He is offering you right now (in this season of life) for you to grab ahold of for support? Will you receive their help?

And just like those waves that I had to pay attention to, or else they would crash over me…What strong currents or waves are you experiencing right now? Is there a way for you to let someone in on it with you? Can you tell Jesus what it feels like and ask for Him to hold you as you navigate through it?

Before we say goodbye today, I feel like it would be wrong for me to not leave you here with a couple of pics of yummy food that we found on the island! (Unfortunately we didn’t take any pics of the amazing donuts we got from a food truck on the side of the highway) I must warn you, these will undoubtably stir a hunger in you and maybe just maybe you’ll find yourself on the island at some point to partake of the wonderful things that we did! 

Brisket Mac & Cheese from The Fish and The Hog —- I’m still dreaming about this one!

Lobster fried rice at Hale Kai at the Fairmont Orchid. YUM!

These fish tacos were also from Hale Kai. Super fresh and yummy too!

The sunset was stunning from this spot too!

I’m sure you must be feeling hungry after seeing these delicious dishes, but I also hope that our time together, in this space, has stirred a different kind of hunger in you. 

The kind that only HE can satisfy.

Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Mahalo!