And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. Genesis 1:9-10, 13 (NIV)

Now according to scripture, God separated the land from the seas on the third day. In addition, he did not rest until the seventh day. Looking into the creation story in this matter, two conclusions can be drawn: God finished His work before He rested and He saw the need for rest.

While we may not know where God chose to spend His seventh day after the creation, one could really imagine He spent part of the time by the seashore, or the beach as we now refer to the area around the oceans or gulfs of seawater. There are not enough words to describe the feelings felt or the soulful regeneration gained by spending even a small amount of time in this part of His creation.

Even after the most stressful periods of life, whether it be work, family or any other situation, one can feel a sense of release, sitting in the sand watching the waves. This release may come in the form of letting your problems float away on the waves, or simply by letting your mind relax, listening to the waves as they hit the shore and move back out again.

The expanse of the oceans also gives one the sense of how truly powerful the creator is as well. By just speaking His words, He calmed the stormy seas. What a calming effect this can have on our lives if we will let go of anything that is troubling us and know that He is in charge. Just as the waves calm after a storm, so can our lives if we will lay all of our burdens before Him and trust completely in Him.

God knew we would need rest. Our human bodies and minds can only function so long without needing a break. This does not mean that we only need our eight hours of sleep each day, but truly a break from our daily routines. We all need time to relax, be still and know He is God. For me I can find this peace and rest sitting on the beach. Definitely, there is a time to rest and restore your mind, body and spirit. Thank you Lord for this magnificent place of restoration you created for all your children.

Randy Garrison is the president and publisher of the Hartselle Enquirer.