Sunday, September 26, 2010

Shoeless in Georgia





I lost my shoes - or shoe, I should say - on this unbelievably pretty spot of Jekyll Island, GA!

The stark beauty of the driftwood piled along the sandy, secluded beaches make it an ideal spot for photography-loving tourists like myself! In order to walk in the water's edge, I pulled off my shoes and put them in a safe spot - or at least that's what I thought!

A few minutes later, I went back to get them, and only one sandal was there; the other - washed out with the tides! Well, one shoe was worthless, so I threw it in, too! Since I don't carry extra shoes with me, I was shoeless and had to walk barefoot over the hot path back to the car. My tender feet suffered! We then set out to look for somewhere to buy some shoes. Of course, I wasn't going in a store barefoot, so JD would have to purchase them!

As we drove around the island, we found a fishing/park area with its own bait/tackle shop. Maybe they sold flip flops, I thought . . . and hoped. John David went in to find out and returned with the cutest pair - white with green peace signs and hearts! Cute or not, I would have worn them, but I thought he made a really good choice - and they fit perfectly!

The next day we walked along the beach on St. Simons Island . . . and this time my shoes were in a really safe place!

This little episode - and my new flip flops - remind me that "things" can slip away from us so quickly and unexpectedly.

More importantly, I've reflected on the fact that I really don't want to be too far away from my Heavenly Father, where I'm safe. It's when I move away from Him that I'm in danger of being pulled under by the tides of worry, fear, discouragement, conformity, selfishness, wrong attitudes . . . which only take me farther out to sea.

If I'm not "sheltered safe within the arms of God," it's so easy to just drift along, too, and have a form of godliness but lack power and purpose. The driftwood is appealing to the eye and is photogenic . . . but it's dead!

Well . . . who knew that losing a shoe would be a teachable moment?? The truth is that God uses the "little" things in life, both pleasant and difficult, to shape our lives and draw us to Him. That's just how much He loves us!!

14 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

I'm loving your analogy on the attractive but dead driftwood, I would have never thought of the story this way. You see modern day parables in every day life. Your blogs just keep getting better, you need to keep these printed somewhere and gt them published.

Mari said...

Thanks for sharing your teachable moment with us. It's all so true!
And I'm glad you got some cute flip-flops out of it!

Kathy said...

You have a special talent for finding the teachable moments and combining them with great photography!

Beth said...

That's an awesome analogy. My kids struggle with analogies, but my best ones come packed with God in them, so they're inadmissable in class.
Those are incredible shots! I would love to have been by the ocean this summer---such peace and a perfect place for reexaming our lives. I always feel closer to God when I'm near a big body of water, but esp. the ocean.
Thanks for your encouragement on my blog this morning--a nice 'pick me up' to my day.:)

Mrs. M said...

Great lesson. God never wastes an experience does He? Cute shoes too.

Southern Lady said...

I love how God uses little things to teach us! Your pictures are just lovely as always. So glad that you had a nice time. Carla

S. Etole said...

thank you for sharing your insights with us in both word and photo ...

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Cute story, Glenda---and I liked the way you related it to 'losing' God in our lives.... God can slip away--just like your shoe---if we don't keep him in the center of our lives...

Loved your Fall decoration post also... I haven't even thought about Fall decorations yet --but will soon. We are finally getting some cooler weather up here. That makes it feel much more like Fall.

Have a great week.
Hugs,
Betsy

Carolina Gal said...

Cute Flip-flops!
I love your focus on teachable moments in this post.
Beautiful photos, too!

WhiteStone said...

Great lesson. And love the photos of the beach. As well as the flip-flops in the hip pocket. lol

What Karen Sees said...

This indeed is a lovely place, and your thoughts in tune with the experience.

Anonymous said...

This was a wonderful post and I enjoyed it so Glenda.

Connie said...

Hello! I enjoyed your analogy here, and it is so true. That spot in Georgia looks lovely and so peaceful. Thank you for visiting my blog today. :)

Betty said...

Glenda,
I am elated that you dropped by to visit with me and that you related to the 'clothesline'....aren't we so blessed to remember those days? I think I've lived in the best of times....

I wonder if we live in the same area. Jekyll, St. Simons, Amelia Island are some of our favorite places....

I look forward to visiting with you on a regular basis...

God Bless...Betty @ Country Charm