I had the strangest feeling yesterday.  I have had it before, but very rarely as strong as it was.  I was cooking something in the kitchen and then, all at once, I HAD to go for a walk!  It wasn’t the feeling you get when you really want to work out, I did not want to work out at all.  I just knew that I needed to drop what I was doing and go for a walk… right now …

So I did.

As I walked outside, I hit ‘play’ on my iPhone and began to listen to Hillsong’s “To Be Like You.”  I was so overwhelmed with love for God, I started to cry.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop crying …

I walked to the corner of my street, holding back tears, hit the “hey, there is a person trying to cross the street” button, then started towards a shopping center nearby.

I felt like the Lord kept telling me to go to the beach instead.

I didn’t want to go to the beach … It was too far for my liking.

But God would not let up.  “Get to the beach!”

I really wasn’t feeling it, but … if I have been taught anything in my life, it’s the attitude of obedience … so I headed toward the beach.  As “To Be Like You” kept playing in my ears, my heart began to break, “ I do want to be like you Lord, with all of my heart.  It’s all I want.”

The closer I got to the ocean, the more of a tug I felt to be there.  Although I know God is everywhere, inside I knew He was sitting, waiting for me, there at the shore.

I couldn’t walk fast enough!

Embarrassing as it is, at one point, I began to talk to myself, “He’s at the beach, He’s at the beach!”

It was an excitement mixed with a serious desperation to see Him.

I must have played the song five or six times before I actually reached the beach.  But as soon as my feet hit the sand, I felt relief.

I knew I came to be with my best friend.

It is not as if I rarely spend time with God, I talk to Him every moment.  But this was special.

As soon as I got to the beach, I saw a family of dolphins swimming in and out of the water. I truthfully believe those dolphins were for me.  I think God was just giving me a sort of shout out.

I got closer to the water and realized …

God wanted a date with me.

We had a meeting at the shore and I couldn’t be late.

Worship music filled my ears.  Tears began to fill my eyes.  And my heart began to express it’s love for God.

It was as if, I had not gotten to tell Him how I’d felt for so long, and now was my chance!

There were a few people around, but I couldn’t help it …

I knelt on the beach and worshiped.

I couldn’t stop thanking Him for all He had done for me.  His deliverance, His intentional care and love of me.  His Fatherly hand of protection over my life all my years.  His direction in so many life-altering choices I had made.  His kind eyes always smiling at me, His lips always encouraging and strengthening the weakest parts of me.

I couldn’t stop praising Him!

I was basically covered in sand, weeping, and probably freaking out the people around me (who probably thought a good friend of mine had died or something) but I had not felt so much love and so in love in so long.

I just stayed there, under the sun, as the spray of the water hit me with the salty smell of the sea.

It was my time with my God, in my secret place, at just the time I needed it.

Have you ever heard the song, “A Little Longer” by Jenn Johnson?  This sums up my “God Date” entirely.  My favorite part of the song says:

“You don’t have to do a thing.

Just stay here with Me and let those things go.

They can wait another minute.

Wait, cause this moment is too sweet.

Simply be with Me and Love on Me a Little Longer…”

I stayed there for a couple of hours, in His presence.

He asked me to write some things down that had been on my heart.  I filled my notes with every good and bad thing I could think of that I was concerned about or mulling over.  And I knew He cared… so so much.  He actually cared.

When I was done.  I felt like the whole world had been lifted from off of my shoulders.  The sky was bluer and my heart was so so light.

I walked home smiling, even giggling a little here and there.  I felt free.

I challenge you today.

Drop what’s in your hand, grab your keys, get into your car, and get away from everyone and everything.  Go to whatever place you call secret with God.  Just be with Him.  It’s all He wants and all you need.

You don’t have to have a major problem to fall on your knees and cry out to God.  You can do it just because.

He loves it when we love on Him just because we can.  He wants YOU not what you can do for Him.  So bring that.  Bring YOU.

You’ll feel better, be less grumpy, less overwhelmed, and so much lighter.  That’s a promise.

Catch the Wave,

Victoria