July 1st marks the start of our 7th year of
living on the sand in Capo Beach. We originally rented a small beach house
because we sold our home and needed a place to stay while we searched for a smaller
home to buy. But we fell in love with the beauty of the blue water, the never-ending
sound of the waves caressing the shore, and the sunsets that look like Monet
paintings. Six years later we still haven’t started our search for a new home… and
hopefully we never will!
The surf and sand make for a stunning view and the whales and
dolphins are exciting to watch, but there is also something else that’s interesting
about living at the beach… the people you meet! There happens to be
a “weekly rental home” right next door, so we have brand new neighbors almost every
week, especially during the summer. They come in all different shapes, sizes,
races and languages, which can get pretty interesting at times. Some are quiet
and reflective, others are loud and boisterous. So it’s like a box of
chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get!
Speaking of chocolates, my wife loves to cook, so sometimes when a
new group arrives we will greet them with some of her home-made chocolate chip cookies. Most
of the vacationers that show up next door are excited to be on vacation, so
they appreciate our hospitality, but sometimes we get an overly enthusiastic batch of party
people who keep us up all night while they litter the beach with trash and beer
bottles. It can be fun to meet and greet new people, but it also requires
putting out extra effort. So even though I know Christians are supposed to “serve
others”, sometimes I just don’t feel like it. Last week, which was 4th
of July week was no exception, but there was something exceptional about it.
When they pulled up they looked like the all-American family of
four. They
said they knew the hot weather was coming, so they booked a week to relax at
the beach and get a break from the normal stresses of everyday life. The night
before they arrived we hosted a large beach party and ended up with a lot of
leftover food and drinks, so we decided to share it with our new neighbors. Normally
that’s the end of it. But not with this family! All throughout the week, they returned
the “favor”. One night they brought over some delicious barbequed tri-tip.
Another night they invited us to join them for a Mexican Fajita Fiesta at their
house. And the father was always offering up a glass of fine wine to go with
the great food. We really enjoyed meeting this wonderful family and when they
left we promised to stay in touch.
And that got me thinking… This was the first time ever that a vacationing
family put out extra effort to make us locals feel welcome. It really blew us
away! And more importantly, being on the receiving end of someone else’s
hospitality felt so good that it re-energized our desire to serve others. I
guess you could say that this box of chocolates was pretty gosh-darn good!
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| July 4th, 2018 at Capistrano Beach |
Momma
always said life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna
get.
~ Forrest Gump
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