Escape

Where do you go to escape life for a while...to recharge your battery?

I don't know about you, but my world moves pretty quickly. I'm so often on the go; get up, run out the door to work, running all day long, after work is exercise, and then into another activity. I'm not married and I don't have a family, but my world stays pretty full all on my own. I pretty much love everything that I do, but I find there is a point where I run out of steam. It is usually identifiable by a change in my attitude (and not for the better). I tend to be pretty happy and upbeat more often than not, but when I go go go for too long I begin to get emotional and irritable. Can you relate? It's in those time that I begin looking for my escape (aka, my happy place). A place where I can slow down, pray, remember who I am, and remember my purpose.

Most of the time my escape is to the beach. There is something about the steady sound of the ocean waves that relaxes my soul and helps me to breathe again. Sometimes I get away with friends and something I go alone. But taking that time to sit and stare at the ocean just does wonders for me. Since I'm watching my budget closely these days so that I can reach my 2014 debt free goal, taking off to the coast as often as I would like is not all that practical so I've found a few other places of solace.

I recently began running again and though I'm not quite at the level where running is relaxing (one needs to be able to take in full breaths in order to relax), I have found that taking the trails through the greenways in my city can be quite peaceful. I've been trying to go to a different trail each Saturday. Whether I'm at the ocean, hiking in the woods, or running (or walking) on a trail, all of these things help me to see God's beautiful creation. It reminds me of who he is and how magnificent the world is that we live in. It reminds me that the stresses of my life are small and that my God is big. It brings me back to center.

There one other place I like to go to escape. This one may sound a bit silly, but I love to go to the movies by myself. Five years ago I would have never been brave enough to do this. I hated going anywhere alone that I thought was meant for at least two people to do together. But a couple of years ago I got brave and decided I wasn't going to let not having someone with me prevent me from doing something I love to do. And I discovered that I love going to the movie theater by myself. When I am alone I can get lost in the story and forget about the real world for a while. I can become part of this magical place. The atmosphere of the dark theater with the big screen and a good heartfelt movie is beautiful.

I'm posting the lyrics below to a song I first heard in December and have since fallen in love with it. The first two verses describe how you can see God in the beauty of the world around us; a sunrise, the colors of the morning, a moon lite night, and the stars. Oh how true this is if we take time to stop and really appreciate these things and just enjoy the beauty. The second two verses describe Jesus and his love for us by dieing on a cross, giving his life for ours, and what an eternity. We are (I am) the bride of Christ and one day we will be reunited with him in joyous celebration. Oh God, how beautiful you are.

"You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickham

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful

I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face
I see Your face, You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're beautiful

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlTzH9xkXQ&list=WLGzTpX4txyFBs0KQ4x_lNalvzQpfxeZ86

 

 

-The Real Me