Paradise

The beginning of this week saw me looking for escape....a way to run away from life, forget my worries and stress, not having to make decisions and just be. I found a song “Knee deep” that I continuously played (my apologies to my neighbours and co-workers). Its words somehow sent me on a mission...that all I had to do was be knee deep in water somewhere, lose myself and I would find the peace and paradise that I was craving.  So I rounded up a couple of friends, planned a beach outing for the weekend and waited with great hope and anticipation.

The day has now come and gone. It was wonderful, fun, relaxing and somewhat peaceful. It passed all too quickly. I found myself twice walking what seemed like miles out across the sand to the water. I waded up to my knees and well past my knees honestly expecting something to happen. Nothing did and I was not at all shocked by this but at the same time I kept hoping something would....I wanted to feel something whether it be peacefulness , a calming or a great sense of joy. I looked around at the mountain tops still covered in snow, I breathed in the wonderful ocean smells and listened to the quiet gentle waves as the tide came in. It was wonderful, I tried to be thankful for all of this and but something was missing. The day itself was great, good food shared with friends, stories told, laughs shared and as a souvenir I have wonderfully painful sunburn and look like a cooked lobster. I never found what I was looking for and life has carried on. As much as we all want to run away from life from time to time I guess we eventually have to come home.

This morning I watched the funeral service for Jack Layton that I had missed yesterday. I have never heard such an inspiring memorial service. It truly has me believing that we can change this world and it be a place for all people to live free and peaceful lives. 

So now once again I am hopeful. I am thinking I missed the importance of the words in the song....it was more than being knee deep in water. Maybe it is in the words “when you lose yourself you find the key to paradise”. So I shall take Jack’s inspiring words that we can change the world, go to church and sit  in the quietness of the sanctuary, lose myself in God’s love and just be.  I realize now that finding the “key” is not going to happen in an hour, a day or a year but just maybe with love, hope and optimism I can change the way of how I live and maybe a teeny tiny bit of the world at the same time. Then hopefully the day will come when we no longer crave a sense of paradise but can be peaceful in life just as it is.

On a funny note, the song talks about how are only worries will be whether the tide will reach our chairs. Well years ago when my children were little we would spend some holiday time out on the beaches of Parksville, where I continually was worried that the tide would come in and our stuff would get wet. I would worry and fuss until my family grudgingly agreed to move our chairs in from near the water. Looking back now, how silly, wet beach items are all small stuff and hey it might have been fun to try and outrun the tide!

p.s. have returned from church....was a very political sermon due to Jack's death. Good but too political for this gal...I think next time I shall be like my friends and find God out on the trails amongst the trees!....Blessing from Linda...who is still searching....