I love my Colorado Rocky Mountains, but if I could be anywhere or vacation in a place of my choosing, it would be on a beach. I love the breeze. I love the smell. I love the saltiness of the air. I love, love, love the ocean.

I am excited to say that my office move has been a good one for me. While it’s not quite ready to reveal, there are plenty of little shoreline touches that warms my heart each time I walk into my office. The palm trees. The seashells and sand. The colors. The décor. And yes, even a little devotion book that I found brings me to the seashore.

I picked up Devotions for the Beach…and Days You Wish You Were There by Miriam Drennan last week. I believe I’m going to read this devotion book over and over because I wish I were at the beach every day of my life!

What wasn’t surprising in this book was that the first devotion centered around Jesus’ encounter with His disciples on the beach. You know the morning Jesus called them to have breakfast on the seashore in John 21?

The disciples had been out fishing all night long and had caught nothing. As they were heading into shore someone on the beach suggested they throw their nets on the other side. Thinking they had nothing to lose, they did so and caught an abundance of fish.

As soon as the disciples felt a difference in the weight of their net, they knew who had made the suggestion. John exclaimed, “It is the Lord!”

Imagine the scene as the disciples pulled their boat ashore. Jesus, sitting next to a fire, preparing fish for breakfast. Oh what a thrill it must have been to be with Jesus in that setting. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught and come have breakfast with Him.

I love Miriam’s take on this setting. She suggests that while this group of men had seen pretty remarkable things from Jesus (miracles, teachings, death, resurrection, post resurrection visits), in this moment, Jesus wanted them to sit, relax and enjoy being in His company and eat the food He had prepared for them.

Jesus invites us to do the same. In the midst of all that we are doing, perhaps the most important thing we can do is to sit and have breakfast with Jesus. Oh, I realize that we can’t physically have breakfast with Jesus, but we certainly can partake of His spiritual breakfast.

Quiet time, with Jesus on the beach. That’s what Jesus wants for each of us. He desires to spend those precious moments with us to bask in His presence. He wants to open our spiritual minds to new and amazing things found in Scripture. He wants to listen to our requests and praises. He wants to calm our spirits and refresh our minds. All of that can be done in those moments alone with Him.

I’m not going to the beach today. At least not a real beach. But I am going to be with Jesus. And in His presence, I’m at the beach every day.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

Do you have a favorite place to be with Jesus? Where? Tell me about it!