Love


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
February 11, 2009

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:1 NLT

There are so many things that I love about the Outer Banks. This season of winter is actually a beautiful time of year. There is a quiet solitude that envelopes the beach and its surroundings. Great peace and a time of reflection can be captured by a pier, a bench by the sound or from a seaside beach access. If there is a need to warm the soul, to be close to God, to feel His Peace and see the beauty He created, this is the place and the time of year to do it. The sky is so blue and often cloudless. The stars and moon at night sparkle with such clarity. Where else can one go and see dolphins feeding in the distance, seagulls flying overhead, waves rushing through a pier’s pilings and feel peace at the same time! God’s Love is present everywhere here. What a gift it is!

The Bible has much to say about love, but the two most important instructions are these from Mark 12:28-31 NIV which are “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Perhaps today is the time to put the past aside and begin anew with Jesus’ instructions as our guide, to make each day one where love is given and love is received. I heard it said once that the beauty of life is while we cannot undo the past, we can learn from it and change. So that every new moment is spent not in regret or guilt, but in wisdom, understanding and love. The lyrics from an old hymn dated back to 1912 have been drifting in and out of my thoughts today. “Love lifted me…Love lifted me…When nothing else could help…Love lifted me.” God’s Love for us will lift us up and over our own problems and circumstances so that in turn we can be a blessing to others.