Calm Blue Ocean

 

Many years ago, I visited California and spent a week exploring the coast and the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. It felt liberating to hike the mountains, swim solo in the cold waves, and walk barefoot in the sand, sipping a strawberry milkshake from a seaside stand. 

Whenever life gets complicated, whether it be events outside of my control or anxiety resurfacing, I try to imagine the calm blue ocean. I try to listen for the waves lapping against the shore. I close my eyes and imagine the warmth of the sunshine and the sand beneath my toes. 

And just for a few moments, my mind relaxes. I can breathe deeply, grounding myself in the beauty of God's Creation. It is a gift to become grounded in something bigger than my problems, to gaze upon an ocean so powerful and vast. It is a gift to be reminded that the same God who created this crazy, beautiful world is the same God who cares for me. 

📷 Crystal Cove State Park