“Did You Pay for the Beach?”

The Agnews piled in the minivan in the middle of September for a 4-day trip to the beach.  We had just finished a month where we had started homeschooling and I returned to teaching at Lander.  We had started back up our college group at the house.  We had also just finished a week of Gathering services in addition to all the other busy things happening at North Side.  We actually finished up the last Gathering service Wednesday night and we headed to the beach on Thursday at lunch time.

The time was much needed.

The weather was great.  No one was in sight.  We basically had the entire place to ourselves.  It was a real special time.

On the first day, as the boys were running back and forth in the water, they were pretty giddy.  They were laughing and screaming and giggling and squealing with delight at the thought of being able to play here for 4 days.

At one point, Obadiah ran back to me on the shore and said, “Dad, did you pay for the beach?”

“No, it’s not ours.”

“No, I mean did you go to work so you could pay the money so we could come here together?”

“Yes, I did do that.”

“That.  Is.  So.  Awesome.  Woo hoo!  Thanks, Dad!” and off he went back into the water.

In that moment, I was so thankful for a wife who speaks highly concerning me in front of my children.  She had taught them that Dad going to work is a sacrifice but the family can benefit from it.  In that moment, he was grateful for being able to reap the benefits from one’s sacrifice.

On Sunday, we had church as a family.  As we studied Psalm 8, we discussed all the beautiful things we had seen in Creation this week at the beach.

The water was mentioned.  The clouds and the sky were highlighted.  The sand was emphasized since it was still stuck in every single pore on our bodies.

Then Obadiah said, “But Dad, you forgot the most beautiful creation we have seen all week.”

“I did?  What’s that?”

“That beautiful mommy,” and he began to raise his eyebrows and point to a now-blushing mom.

While I was thankful that my children acknowledged that every beach trip and every meal is a blessing that we are not promised, I was also thankful for a Father who really did buy the beach.  He owns it all.  He made the waters and he made the sky.  He made these precious children and this wonderful wife of mine.

I truly am blessed.

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” (Psalm 24:1-2).