Our travel has ended at the ocean and the rain is gently falling on the beach, now getting heavier. The waves are strong and pounding the beach, dragging the sand back to the deeper waters, leaving little ripples in the beach. The clouds are dark gray and purple centered on the horizon, contrasting with the thick vanilla overcast sky. We’re watching the day’s demise through the windows of a seafood restaurant, the ocean so beautiful in the colors of the evening’s light. Now the day is in a quiet gloaming, dimming in her dusky beauty.

The rain and overcast skies have hidden a glorious sunset but I know it was wondrous as the watercolors of Mother Nature’s paint brushes came alive over the Atlantic Ocean. “Life is like the ocean, it can be calm or still, and rough or rigid, but in the end it is always beautiful.” John Gates Percival writes, “The world is full of poetry. The air is living with its spirit; and the waves dance to the music of its melodies, and sparkle in its brightness.”

“Waves are constantly in motion, rising and falling, and this can remind us that life is always changing, too,” Unknown. Our lives have undulations just like the ocean’s waves. We need to learn to navigate and embrace the changes, relying on God to give us the strength to help us through the storms. Scripture in Jeremiah reads, “This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar — the Lord Almighty is his name.”

I’ve had prayer on my mind all day today, praying for safe travels with these women I love. I know I’m blessed at this stage in my life and I’m mindful every night to give thanks to the Lord. I am a staunch believer in the power of prayer. The world need prayers for love and peace. Barbara Johnson wrote, “Hope is praying for rain but faith is bringing an umbrella.” I love that simple thought. Prayer is defined as a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God. But prayer to me is a conversation with the Lord, verbalizing our needs and our worries, asking for peace. Sometimes just a simple thank you is sufficient to take to God in prayer. “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough,” Meister Elkhart.

Prayer fosters a spiritual connection to God and strengthens our faith. The power of prayer is the power of God. Faithful consistent prayer gives us comfort and hope. God hears our prayers and answers them. We may have to wait for an answer and we may not like the answer we receive but our lives are in his hands and I believe he has a path charted for us. We have to trust in God and accept the outcome of our prayers. God knows us. God sees us. God listens to our prayers. God loves us as a father loves his children.

“Prayer is the song of the heart. It reaches the ear of God even if it is mingled with the cry and tumult of a thousand men.” — Kahlil Gibran