One Last Dip in the Ocean—A Dying Wish

At the beach, God’s magnificence is vividly on display in ways that appeal to our senses. I saw the coolest scene ever the last time I visited. A scene that had nothing to do with the roar of waves crashing to shore, the shrill cry of seabirds searching for dinner, gently swaying sea oats, or a sunset so heartbreakingly beautiful it cracked open my soul.

A couple, closer in age to 90 than 80, captured my attention. She grasped his arm with both hands as they waded into the water trickling to shore. Moving gingerly as they tested the shifting sand underfoot, they continued on a few feet further. Then she stopped, braced herself against his body, and slid downward until, with a plop, she sat in the ocean. Startled, he followed her. They looked at each other and laughed. The joy radiating from their faces was palpable.

I imagined the memories provoking her joy. Might they be:

• the time in her twenties she honeymooned at the beach?

• the time in her thirties her toddlers experienced the ocean for the first time?

• The time in her forties she trained for a 5K by running three miles a day through bottomless sand?

• the time in her fifties she vacationed with five dear friends spending hours in beach chairs reading books from their “to-be-read” lists, eating what they wanted when they wanted—for the first time freed from day-to-day parenting responsibilities?

• the time in her sixties she took a beach trip alone to prove something to herself?

• the time in her seventies she and hubby quietly welcomed the New Year at her favorite place on earth?

Brought out of my reverie, I watched a middle-aged man, probably their son, help them both stand and make their way back to a group of umbrella-shaded chairs.

I imagined this beach trip to be her dying wish—a yearning of the heart to return to the beach that beckoned her throughout her life one last time before God called her home.

My preacher used to say, “Christians die well.” He said they die peacefully; they don’t struggle when it’s time to go. Christians believe that heaven awaits—a place that has many rooms prepared for them. A place that will afford them as many dips in their “ocean” of choice as they wish.

Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 11:26

Psychologists claim that granting loved ones a dying wish has a positive effect on how they view their life and how they feel about dying. Click here for a short, heartwarming (really!) presentation: Twenty Dying Wishes.

We have assurance from Jesus that we will one day be with Him in heaven.

Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.’

Luke 23:43

I welcome your thoughts in the comments section below.

Have a great week!

Immersed in His Love,

Candyce

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