Last week I wrote about looking for dolphins and narrowing my focus to the point of excluding the vast expanse of ocean on either side of my tunnel vision, where I could also possibly see them. If you missed it, click here.
Many of us who came to St. George for Paint, Paddle & Play anticipated lots of blue skies and sun, with ample time on the beach. The weather offered something different for both of my retreat weeks.
The first week was almost nonstop dark, gray skies bringing rain and thunderstorms. We enjoyed a couple of breaks in the rain each day for walks, and a few hours of sunshine once or twice that week. The rip tide made swimming unsafe, however.
When I thought it couldn't get worse weather-wise, the second week did. We went through several tornado warnings on Thursday morning. One of my ladies woke me to join them downstairs. A tornado touched down mildly, on the far side of the island, with minimal damage. I thank God we were safe!
Our home on stilts (the norm for Florida) swayed noticeably at times. Water began to seep in through the windowsills and leak in places because of the sideways rain. We worked quickly to catch that. Other homes around us weren't so lucky. Several lost
their driveways due to flooding, and their rental home became a private island. It was intense.
(Hello ladies! Welcome to your relaxing beach retreat!)
On Thursday, in between tornado warnings, a few of us were outside when the sky completely let loose again with a sudden blast of wind and a torrential down pour. We knew another storm front was coming so I was nearing the house following a brief walk. After
running up to the deck, I decided what the heck? I'm already wet, so I might as well dance and enjoy in the rain. So I did. If you follow me on social media, you may have seen that
video. (You can click the link if you missed it, and also see a very amazing stormy sky over the ocean.)
Even though we didn't get the weather we may have anticipated, we witnessed the force of nature up close and thrilling in powerful, evocative ways. To be face-to-face with weather so big, so DOMINATING, was wondrous and awe-inspiring. The 40 miles per
hour wind gusts, the booms of thunder and the blinding lightning over the ocean are something we don't see every day, and most people never will.
And although I had been looking for daily dolphins during my
two weeks on St. George Island, I found other natural marvels to amaze and delight me--once in a lifetime experiences. Again, not what I prayed for, but something equally (more) marvel-ous and completely unforgettable.
The fabulous and gracious women in both weeks were wise enough to know that even though we didn't spend a lot of time on the beach as we hoped, the stormy weather drove us inside and fostered the bonding that is a precious part of the retreat experience. We painted and played a lot, and the cooks in the group kept us fed and our appetites delighted.
For today, let's remember that we don't always get what we think we need most, but we can trust that whatever happens has brought a gift. Our job is to unwrap it and receive it, and to recognize the beauty in everything, and be grateful.
