My favorite time of the year starts right now. I love spring with the blooming of new leaves on the trees. I think summer is great with the warmth that I can feel deep into my bones. But the end of summer – ah, this season is on the very top of my list.
The weather is lovely and warm, with the scorching heat gone. The young families, those with less than school-age children, are visiting the beach and it is a joy watching them have a great time. Our last summer guest has departed and although I will miss the company as I breathe a deep sigh and put my feet up to relax, I realize it will be just for a moment.
What an absolute gem of a place is our Cape May County. There is so much to see and do, even in the shoulder season. I have been wanting to get to the zoo this year, but when we had a day available, it was either too hot, too crowded, or raining. So, now is my chance to fulfill that desire.
One of the things that I enjoy about the zoo is the amazing beauty and diversity of the animals God created. We can see the great giant buffalos and the tiniest of monkeys within walking distance of each other.
The otters have always been a favorite of mine. What fascinating creatures they are, and we will surely check them out while we are there.
This summer, we enjoyed an under-touted spot of our area as we took the Delaware Bay Lighthouse Keeper’s Tour. My husband, Neil’s, brother and sister-in-law were in town and we thought the tour would be a treat, and it was. For over four hours, we cruised in a boat, receiving narration of each of the lighthouses that are set up in the middle of the Delaware River to assist with maritime navigation.
It was a fun and beautiful day on the water with a crowd of like-minded tourists and I am still very impressed with these enormous cement lighthouses dating back to the 1800s. We watched with delight the large birds that nested on the towers as they spread and dried their wings.
It amazes me that man had the creativity and imagination to design, and then firmly place, these huge lighthouses in the center of the Delaware.
Truthfully, I am impressed with many of the wondrous feats of humans, including designing and building the stunning cathedrals of Europe, particularly by one in Armenia dating all the way back to 301 A.D.
These imaginative feats of man are due to the fact that we are made in God’s image. He gave us brains, reasoning skills, and physical attributes to accomplish much.
So, while I am appreciative of the skills and talents of men, I look back to the originator of mankind and know that we must be thankful for the wonder of His kindness to let us share and enjoy, even in a limited way, His creative talents.
But, God’s creation outdoes man’s every time. I saw the lighthouses and was impressed. I saw the large winged birds holding their own in a strong wind and acknowledged that God made every one of them perfectly designed for exactly what they are doing.
I can only imagine that every time God created yet another creature, He smiled with love and pleasure all over again at those particular traits and colors He gave to each one.
That should help us realize that we, humans, are very special in God’s eyes. Our creator, who spent so much of His excellent creativity designing the critters of the world, chose the very best of Himself for us because we were created in His image.
As I celebrate the end of summer in Ocean City, watching the humans as well as the critters, I see what God’s hand is still doing today. Jesus tells us that a sparrow does not fall to the ground without the Father knowing it. We are told this for our comfort to know that God sees each of us and what we are doing and He cares.
As I walk on the wooden boards taken from trees God set in place for us to use, I am glowing in the generous gifts God has bestowed upon Ocean City and me. The sea, the sky, the beach.
I watch the humans passing by and know how unique each one is – because God is so detail-minded that even no two of our fingerprints are alike. I see God in everything.
As you enjoy the end of summer, this is a reminder to see God everywhere because you, too, are always in His sight and thoughts.
ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.
