We just got back from a get-away
on Chris and Lyn’s boat. We took off a few days and rode out to Sandy
Point
It was a cove, a little creek off
of the Stono Inlet. We had taken a leisurely trip out
to the point where the boat could snug right up to the beach due the big
drop-off at low tide. We stopped to survey where we were, let the dogs out and
plan what we wanted to do next. It was windy and overcast with rain in the future, so after the dogs ran for a bit, we left to find a place to anchor for the
night. As we came up around the point, we happened by this little creek. With
just a little turn to the left, we found ourselves out of the choppy water and
all at once the wind stopped. It was still, so still. The chill in the air
seemed to disappear under a warm blanket as we were protected from the wind by
marsh and dunes all around us. This is where we stayed. We had to gauge the
tides just right, because the sailboat could only enter or leave this little
haven with a few hours of tide. And when the tide was high, there would be no
beach to walk on. Once we were there, we would have to stay put till the tide
turned again. So we entered with a rising tide and some beach left to explore,
built a fire at sunset, and then it was back to the boat to rest, to sleep as the
tide rose and covered nearly everything except the beautiful marsh. We slept soundly
and warmly in the little cabin, with only the sound of the wind blowing
through the shrouds on the bow. The next morning, we rose at dawn to discover
the point covered with pelicans, cormorants and white herons. Dolphin were
swimming right past the boat and it was overwhelming, really, at how pristine
this scene was. I took so many pictures, one right after the other. Yesterday,
I awoke just as the sun was rising, and I quietly opened the hatch so as not to
interrupt nature in all of its beauty. I got busy with my camera. I tried to
follow the pattern of a dolphin as he rose above the water, then dove down
again. A pelican flew over. I missed it. I tried again and missed a heron
that flew right in front of me while I was focused on the pelican. I tried to capture every picture I could and
then, it was time to stop. Sometimes, I thought, it is just time to drink it
all in. So I did. I was in a cove, out
of the noise. It was still and peaceful but I was becoming too busy. Sometimes,
it is important just to stop.
When we got home, I thought more
about the time we had out there. I thought about Jesus, being available to the
crowds, answering every question people had, teaching, leading, but He went to
a garden to pray, he got on a boat and left the crowds to be still. David spoke
of peaceful, still waters. He must have been in a creek like ours. It is
amazing what you can hear in a cove, in the absence of the noise of the wind
and waves and boats which cover the silence. Surrounded by the protecting
marsh, I enjoyed being wrapped in silence to do nothing more than just listen.
I’ve been listening lately to a meditative CD…one of the songs repeats over and
over, “Let me hear, let me hear what you will speak to me, when I turn to you
in my heart.” I am still listening.
--Kim Huff 11-18-13
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