I couldn’t get enough of the crystal clear waters of the beach last week. To be more specific, it was a sand bar I paddled out to via kayak several feet offshore that provided the respite. It was a tranquil place where I could see the sandy white shore below, as I rolled over the incoming waves.

The current was fairly strong, so I would paddle hard to get far enough to the other side of the beach and then drift back slowly to the spot where my family had our base camp set up on the shore.

There were several moments I thought about paddling back and surfing the waves in, which is always a blast, but this day was different. I couldn’t seem to pull myself away from the cradling waves just out past the sandbar.

I found myself overflowing with praise, worship, and gratitude to God for His magnificent creation, beauty, the multiple gifts of being with loved ones, and the overwhelming invitation to rest, and have my heart and mind at peace.

I was reminded of Psalm 23, and how God leads us to rest, renews our strength, and refreshes our souls. He even uses peaceful waters as an illustration, and this was that invitation for me – to simply be with God, immersed and surrounded literally by His expansive beauty and love.

I saw dolphin dancing, emerald green sea turtles swimming, and graceful birds soaring above the crystal clear waters set against a baby blue sky.

The love of God was overwhelming. My cup was truly overflowing, and I could do nothing but praise Him. I even caught myself singing out loud.

It was a wonderful vacation, and as always, hard to leave, but I know such moments aren’t made to cling to, but to value for what they are – moments custom built to help nourish, heal, and reveal new truths within our heart and soul.

The next day, we were back home and at our church, and as the worship band was singing, I noticed something I had never quite seen, or noticed before. As we sang, people were slowly rocking, as if being cradled – which they were. For as we worship, our Heavenly Father is quite literally cradling us.

Like me out on the waters, rocking back and forth, all who were singing were also swaying back and forth, all this was worship, connections to our Father and His various expressions of love for us as He cradles us.

Like children in His arms, we slowly sway when we worship, whether in song, or in nature. Worship soothes our souls. He comforts us, and how marvelous this is, how wonderful it was to see, how good it was to experience, and oh, how powerful it is to worship!

May we never be too busy to take the time to worship. To slow ourselves down long enough to simply linger with God, and to allow His love to comfort us, lead us beside peaceful waters, lush pastures, and be bathed in His endless blessings.

We don’t have to try and cling to these moments, for we know, God’s blessings are endless like the incoming waves. New experiences await us, and so we can confidently receive their comfort, and appreciate them for what they are sent to do – gifts from God that help us go back out in faith with hearts nourished by our Father’s love.