Fugitive at the Beach House

Times of struggle need times of solitude

Here, at the shore, there had been time for making pie, a beautiful thing with golden brown crust and fresh, succulent blueberries. Unfortunately, the cat thought so, too, and in the whip of a tail the counter resounded with purple as in a display of children’s finger-painting, and the remnants of pie resembled a vat of paw-pressed grapes. I sighed.

Still, it was pie, none-the-less. With my eyes closed I slipped one salvaged morsel in my mouth, remembering a morning standing at short stocky bushes plump with blueberries and picking until my fingers took on the hue of distant mountains at the close of day. Gratitude welled up in me.

I must find joy in my life as it is, because it is mine, and I know it is mine by the generous hand of God. Such knowledge makes ignorance impossible as an excuse for failed gratitude and cast away blessings.

The joy of simplicity

Hanging on the wall in a quaint gift shop in Lavalette, New Jersey, is a hand carved wooden sign that reads, “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be joyful.” The black and white photo shows an elderly work-worn woman, hair piled high on her head, wearing a full apron covered with the remnants of recent pie-baking. She stands in the doorway of a tired wooden shack, the old-fashioned baking utensils and mottled pottery are visible through the door. She is smiling; a deep, satisfied smile.

It is a wooden frame filled with the sepia image of simplicity; harkening back to a time when hard work was the norm, but meaning and satisfaction were the fruit of your labor.

It may be a romanticized vision of life “back then” but that small sign drew a lot of interest from customers.

 

There’s no doubt simplicity is appealing. It’s the antithesis of a culture that has our heads spinning. Stress and the lack of civility seem to be the fruit of this day and age. Images of simplicity encourage us to remember that the most meaningful things in life are not the wealth and success for which our culture entices us to strive, but those moments when we nurture joy and respect for the human spirit.

 

How we do that can be as simple as giving a pedestrian the thumbs-up instead of the “finger” when they cross in front of our car; taking our cell-phone conversations outside when we are in a library, restaurant, bank or book store; using the trash receptacles on the beach instead of treating the shore like an ashtray or garbage can. It can mean living with gratitude for ordinary blessings and everyday necessities.

 

Adapting an attitude of simplicity helps reduce stress and keeps the rude and crude part of our natures at bay. And if the media has its way, rude and crude will forever become the hallmark of the Jersey Shore.

 

For me, however, this little gift store, its staff and owner, reflect the gracious hospitality that is the true nature of the Jersey Shore. That’s why it’s one of my favorites.

Nothing's better than a snore and a s'more

  "Notice the ravens, they do not sow or reap, they have neither storehouse or barns, yet God feeds them. How much more important are you than birds?" (Luke 12:24)

There is something out of the ordinary in crossing the bridge over Barnegat Bay to the island towns of Ortley Beach, Lavalette and Seaside Park. As soon as I get to the other side my whole body relaxes and I breathe a sigh of relief.

One can sense the beach and the magic of the ocean seems to penetrate the body with peace.

Beach living is a special experience and so are those rare friends who are "beach people."

My dear friend John is a beach person. Husband of Rose (the Ultimate beach person!), father of five "beachlings" and writer at heart. This is a man who delights in the most important things in life - family and friends. This is also a man who can create an outstanding turn of the phrase in a heartbeat.

Take, for example, his exhuberant description of a new "toy" - a battery operated screw driver -- as "a roller coaster for the hand!"

Or his most recent declaration upon waking from a brief late-night ocean air snooze after making s'mores in an outdoor fireplace and sharing some conversation: "There's nothing better than a snore and a s'more!" he exclaimed with a sleepy grin on his face.

Ah, the simplicity of it all.

That's what real "beach people" are all about -- the simple things; the priceless things – sunrise over the ocean, sunset over the bay, the sound of waves, the smell of rain, laughter, music, a really good hot dog.

Jesus had the heart of a beach person - a heart of gratitude for the extraordinary gifts of his Father -- no doubt relishing every setting sun, every evening walk with one of the apostles, a fire on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a simple dinner with Martha and Mary and Lazarus, time to pray.

But still, there was one gift above all others that Jesus treasured – love – love directed toward his friends, his family, his mother; love that drew him to heal, to teach and to lead others to God; love that lead him to the cross.

Jesus would be the first to agree with a contemporary beach maxim: "It's not the furniture, it's whose sitting in it that matters."

If we have friends and family sitting in our furniture – whether it’s at the beach, at home or in the office -- then we need to fill up our hearts with gratitude.

God has already filled up our lives with love.

Copyright © 2010 by Mary Regina Morrell