God speaks to me a lot through signs. So, when my initial birthday plans began to fall through one by one, I knew He was up to something.
First plan: Virgin Islands. Nix.
Second plan: New Orleans and the New Edition, Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton concert. Nope. (Should have gone to see them in Charlotte.)
Tampa, Florida: Seriously.
(Shoutout to the travel agent who endured my ever-changing itineraries. You know who you are. You are appreciated and on deck for my next planned trip, God willing.)
Then how shall I celebrate my 56th birthday, which falls on Good Friday? The one idea that gave me peace was to go somewhere and be still and listen.
Where could I go to do that and still be surrounded by what I love?
Then it hit me like a crashing wave: The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina.
I had not been there since 2010, and at that time it was a quick day trip with an old friend.
So, I called up by travel besties and gave them my plan.
Birthday theme: “Eat. Love. Pray.” (From the popular movie of the same name)
Location: South Nags Head.
Itinerary: Bring your own joy!
And that’s exactly what we did.
For five days, we settled into a rhythm of peace at the OBX, where it seems like serenity is the rule of law. It’s quiet. It’s remote. It’s sacred in its own way. It’s an ideal area to meditate, pray, be still and listen. Just what God ordered.
It’s the complete opposite of Myrtle Beach. At times, you don’t even feel like you’re in North Carolina with the windblown sand sweeping across towering dunes, the possibility of spotting wild horses and beach houses that sit right at the water’s edge. With a permit, you can even drive along the shoreline and build campfires on the beach.
Each morning, my day began with a walk on the beach. Like many people have said before, there’s something about the water that makes God’s voice easier to hear. Or maybe, it’s something about standing next to one of his most majestic creations. Or maybe, we're just quieter there.
Either way. I heard Him. I got answers. I got clarity.
Not the full blueprint because God rarely gives us that. Seeing the whole picture wouldn’t require faith, now would it.
But dear God, can I at least see the next step?
My friends were blessed as well. We rested. We watched TV. We played games. We sat on the beach. We did whatever brought us joy. There was no itinerary except for on my birthday, which was a photo shoot on the beach and dinner.
I am grateful for friends who don’t always have to have big, shiny things to make them happy, who don’t always need grand experiences to define joy.
Don’t get me wrong. That can be us sometimes. But we also know how to “get somewhere and be still,” as my grandmother would say.
On Easter Sunday, we held our own sunrise service right there on the beach. We had prayer, Scripture, songs and a devotional God gave me the prior weekend while watching a movie. (another blog for another day).
My birthday theme came to life as God intended. We did a lot of eating. We did a lot of praying and in the midst of it all there was love: Love for each other. Love for ourselves. And the greatest expression of love of all: the Son-rise of Easter.
This video link shows some of the signs God gave me while in the OBX for my birthday: Eat. Love. Pray. Video
