Loved by God & Family: Safe & Sound

Diary Entry: April 8, 2023

Our internal reality can often be untrue to what is external reality. I find that often-time, I get angry and frustrated when I don't feel like I'm loved by family, friends and especially by God Himself.

But here is an account of a day where I felt so loved by God and family that it was the most beautiful, warm and heart-felt experienced.

Now, as an adult, I've learned that I can't always feel loved. I have to believe that I am! Because it is factually true!

Wow, what a day yesterday was! I can hardly believe all that we packed into one single day at Heron Point. It felt like a mini-adventure filled with laughter and love, and I just have to document it all.

We arrived and set up our tent right in front of the beach, with the soft sound of waves lapping at the shore and a beautiful low tide river stretching out in front of us. It was our own little paradise!

I could hardly contain my excitement when my little brother and I decided to race along the beach. We ran across the warm sand, the wind whipping our hair back, feeling completely free. It’s moments like those that remind me of the joy of being young and adventurous.

After our exhilarating race, we switched gears and got down to business—building sandcastles! We created the most intricate structures we could manage, and of course, I couldn't resist the urge to punch them down and sit on the rubble.

It was so silly and fun!

Later, we cooked meat with Mum and Dad for our BBQ dinner. I had this brilliant idea to cook the sausages one by one, thinking it was the best method ever. Dad, with his typical charm, showed me the more advanced technique of boiling them all together. I loved his playful approach to teaching me about cooking—and seeing Mum smiling and laughing all day really made my heart full.

At one point during the evening, I took a quiet moment to pray. I asked God for the ability to truly enjoy the day and also confessed some things weighing on my heart. I knew I needed to guard against letting anything—even small distractions—become more important than being with my family and enjoying this time together.

As the sun began to set, I alone walked down to the beach. I stood there, mesmerized, as the sky transformed into a palette of oranges.

There was even a beautiful heron on the shore, perfectly silhouetted against the sunset. It felt like a little gift from God, reminding us to cherish the beauty of His creation.

Later that night, we huddled together for some family fun. We played a phone app game, laughing at each other’s silly answers.

Then we transitioned to "You're Lying," where everyone was so goofy, trying to keep straight faces while trying to bluff each other with what cards we were putting down.

Suddenly, caterpillars started falling from the tree above us, and we all freaked out! It was hilarious, and we had to move the picnic table to avoid any more surprises from above.

Once it finally settled down, Greg and I settled in our tent and mum and dad settled in theirs. As I lay there, looking up at the moon, I felt so safe and warm. It was like being wrapped up in God’s arms. I woke up sometime around 2 or 3 am and was blown away by the stars—the Milky Way was shining above us. I think I even saw a shooting star at one point, and some satellites.

In the morning, after waking up, I picked up the Gospel of Mark and read a verse:

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35

So I felt led by the Holy Spirit to go out to the beach at a desolate area and pray.

I talked a lot to God about what was on my mind.

And then I heard God telling me to “Listen.”

So I did.

And I heard the wind.

And I remembered the scripture:

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." – John 3:8

And I saw with my eyes the ripple of the waves on the water, all moving in one direction. They were being pushed by the wind that I could not see. Yet I could see its effects.

I started to follow the ripples, keeping in step with it.

And as I continued to walk, observed the footprints left by the water birds.

I couldn’t see the birds, but I could see the effect they left on the sand.

And then I understood the scripture:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18

As I continued to walk along the shoreline, I saw a feather laying in the sand. It was a giant pelican feather.

As I picked it up and observed it, I could see what was unseen. Each barb of the feather was in perfect alignment with one another. The barbs altogether were connected to the rachis. At the very end, I saw the hollow shaft of the quill, so carefully created to be the right hardness. I saw what the genius hand of The Creator had done. I saw the marks of the Designer.

I went back to the campsite to pass it to my dad.

Around the campfire, I felt it was the right time to share my experiences regarding false teachers and the impact they had on my faith.

I understand that you'll know false teachers by their fruits: whether they produce fruit that is good: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and/or self-control.

Or bad fruit: hatred, envy, strife, idolatry, sexual immorality and the like.

The drive back was filled with laughter and reflection.

 Family time like this is so precious, and I want to cherish it fully.

All in all, April 8th will be a memory I'll hold in my heart for a long time.

Thank you, God, for the blessings of family and the great outdoors.

I can hardly wait for our next adventure!