"How Great Thou Art"

Today was amazing. Not because it was out of the ordinary and spectacular but because it was just like a lot of other days and I was able to see past the daily grind and appreciate all my many blessings. It's amazing how much better the ordinary looks when you are counting your blessings.

This morning while we were doing school a friend texted and asked if we could go to the beach. I told her the kids we're still doing school and asked when they were going. They were leaving in an hour. I told the boys that if they could get their school work finished in one hour we would go to the beach with friends. WOW, you should have seen them work. They were awesome. No messing around and playing between every math problem. Enoch read his story quickly and accurately without all the whining and complaining he sometimes gives me. And suddenly it wasn't "too hard" :)

We met them on the beach and really enjoyed ourselves. The view was stunning. There is something about sitting on the beach that just makes you thankful for your life. Thankful that you are there and with people you love. There is something soothing and calming to your nerves and a sense that God really is bigger than life, than problems, than grumpy 7 year olds and defiant 5 year olds and whining 2 year olds :)

I stood in the water and let the massive waves practically knock me over and I thought about how lucky I am, despite the cost of living and the minor inconveniences, to live in such a beautiful place with my wonderful husband and kids. My heart was full and I was reminded of the time right after Ethne was born when we drove out to a beach close to home in CA and I watched my husband play with the boys while I sat in the sand against a washed up tree and nursed my sweet baby girl only a week or so old. I felt very much the same then. Sick and exhausted as I was I felt the power and love of my Savior and the hugeness of HIS universe as the sun set over the ocean.

I don't know if it's like that for everyone but the beach is deffinately my happy place. The place where all my troubles melt away and my children play and laugh and live life to the fullest. I feel SO blessed to be able to walk there and back as often as life permits. I am really a Lucky Girl!

For the rest of today this is the song I have been singing, but I do wonder why they never wrote a verse about the sea ;)

English Translation ~ Stuart K. Hine, 1899 - 1989
Stanza 1:

O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The world Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed;

Refrain:
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!

Stanza 2:
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;

Refrain:

Stanza 3:
And when I think,
That God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die,
I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross,
My burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
To take away my sin.

Refrain:

Stanza 4:
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
"My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain:

I am not a great singer but my children could feel the power of the words as they played near me while I made dinner. Enoch even said "Mom, I really like your singing" sweet generous boy ;)
My goal is to get to the beach as often as possible while we live here and appreciate the beauty while we have it at our fingertips.