At the end of the day, as her eyes see the last rays of sun and lashes catch the first moonlight, she slips into a quiet slumber. A pleasant dream begins on an uninhabited beach with a backdrop of tropical forest. Nothing has ever been as splendid as that cool summer’s eve, a shining night along the shores of the deserted sand. Yet, walking through it, she felt strings of emotions coming from within her, reaching out in search of something.
She stood to watch in awe as the sun brought an end to the day, shimmering bright across the plain of ocean water. Caught for a moment by the systematic sound within the waves as they overtook the shoreline, creating a rhythm in the midst of silence, she felt the beating of a loving heart. The stir of continuous rushing water ended in a pattern of calmness as it blended with the sand. In that pause, she felt a variation of thoughts among strings of separate emotions, an overflow of hidden anxieties sparked by her imagination. Unsettled, she knew that she was there in search of something. She had to find it. Only then, might she be able to find her dream’s answer, possibly even find peace on that shining night.
Her eyes wandered back and forth along the beach. Standing there in sort of a daze, she could seemingly watch the trees grow in their magnificent beauty. They reached effortlessly into the sky, as the long slender leaves swayed in the wind. It was as if each branch were a feather, gracefully taking hold of the air. Force from a sudden strong breeze threw her hair over her shoulders, causing a feeling of captivation to overwhelm her. She could even smell the fresh tropical air in every touch of wind that blew past. As she stood motionless and her feet searched for a permanent position to stand firmly, she remembered why she was there. Sinking slowly into the moist coolness of the sand, the insistence remained with her to continue her journey, to find what she was searching for on that shining night.
As she continued to follow the shore, she heard the cries of seagulls as they flew above to their perches along the rocky cliffs piercing the edge line of trees in the distance. The squawking and hacking brought the appearance of life to the beach. Although evening had begun, both the sun and moon kept her in awe, waiting for her to find what she searched for, from one end of the beach to the other.
Enduring the journey, she stumbled and fell on the stones that were scattered in the sand. The scene was beautiful and captivating, so much that it distracted her from the purpose of the dream. She would stumble and fall, wounded and bruised, regaining her composure. Then, again, stumble and fall. The sense of urgency rose inside, but the ground was unrelenting. She faltered more and more with each stride she took. Recovering her footing, she would only just fall again. This continued, it seemed, forever.
Then, in an instant, she knew she was there. Coming to the end, there were no more beaches or sand to follow, only the last of the moon on that shining night.
Her walk on the beach was not long, but long enough for discovery. On the waves that came into the shore, she saw him walking on the water, a silhouette within a new sunrise. She heard the beat of his heart as each new wave swept onto the shore. She felt his breath in the morning breeze upon her face. In a moment, he cleared a way through the strung out thoughts in her mind. Relief came to her emotions, release from so many tumultuous experiences. She found her peace in that dream with the appearance of her savior and God. The reality of freedom and forgiveness for a lifetime of struggles and sin came in His arms that shining night.
The alarm sounds, harshly awakening her ever-sweet slumber. Warmth glides across her flesh as the sun enters through the window. Although wishing to stay with her pillows and dreams, she realizes she must withdraw the cozy comfort of blankets from atop her. Opening her eyes to see a glimpse of sun rising, forever changed from the very pleasant dream, the evening she found her shining knight.
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