There is such a joy in weekend walks along the beach. When young families gather together their little ones to enjoy these precious moments, the children screaming in delight as they spill out of the car, relishing the sun on their skin and the fresh sea air as they chase one another as fast as their tiny legs will carry them. When older couples, at complete ease with one another from decades of sharing in each other's ups and downs, take their afternoon walk together, trundling along the esplanade together, holding one another's hand with the tenderness of fifty years of faithful love. When young women in groups of twos or threes, matching in their activewear and runners, keep step with one another as they 'catch up' on all the stories of another day gone by. When young men gather around the old basketball hoop, sweat glistening on their bare backs in the few hours of sunlight left, laughing and egging one another on as they pass and block and shoot.
As I join in enjoying this breathtaking place, my furry companion trotting faithfully by my side, I am filled with thankfulness. There is a reason so many come to the ocean's edge - there is such peacefulness in the song of the waves gently washing back and forth on the soft sand, the local birdlife adding their own little trills and peeps, thanking their Creator for another day. The fresh afternoon sea breeze melts away the tension of the day, and the summer sun - still high in the sky for hours to come - warms the skin with it's golden light, as the embrace of an old friend.
My little friend and I round the corner and find the seat overlooking the glittering turquoise of the ocean, reflecting the clear blue sky above. A few children run along the sand, calling and laughing to one another, enjoying the last few hours of sunlight. The coffee shop at the Lifesavers Clubhouse has long packed up for the day, but come morning it will be filled with people enjoying each other's company in the early morning sunshine. Sitting here, with my faithful companion at my feet, I think to myself, what an incredible God to design this beautiful place for us to enjoy, the relationships of those we enjoy it with - families and friends. And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.
I have chosen to depict one of the iconic scenes of Bargara beach, where the view can be enjoyed on the little bench seat overlooking the Lifesavers Clubhouse, pandanus trees lining the rocky shoreline. On the typical clear day filled with sunshine, the use of the palette knife gives movement to the waves softly lapping the soft golden sand.