GRASSHOPPER November 16, 2024, 1:43 PM When you find a secret place, the best thing you can do is keep it a secret. I've been to Cyprus many times, and several years ago I had the urge to go exploring. My curiosity was wondering what was beyond some rocks on the horizon that I could see. I walked about a mile to the area, clambered over said rocks, walked along a dirt track, and stumbled upon a beach that was totally isolated. I go back there every time I visit the country, and this past September was no exception. It's an ideal spot for me to relax, unwind, and be with my thoughts. I will read, listen to music, or simply watch the waves. Oftentimes, the peace and tranquillity starts me thinking about my life. This year, I had a lot of thoughts running around my head. Alongside a sense of loss and worry, I was feeling incredibly lonely. I was trying my best to enjoy my holiday and switch off from all the troubles that were back home, but I was overcome with this intense wave of lonesomeness. I was broken, mentally, and having the secluded beach to myself, I prayed out loud to God for his help. I began a lamentation about how I ended up in the position I found myself in and was asking for God to show me that he still loved me. I asked him to keep me company and be with me, if only briefly, so I didn't feel so alone. That second, a grasshopper landed on my beach towel. It had a damaged back leg, but was still able to get about. It sat there with me, resting, and I couldn't help but smile and chuckle to myself. There it was - an instant answered prayer. It stayed with me for a while, and when I gave my thanks to Jesus and said my Amen, it flew away. It still amazes me how much God loves someone like me. To think that that he would, in that very instant, send me a little grasshopper to keep me company made me feel so special. I knew in that moment that, despite the hardships I was facing, I was always going to be loved and looked after. It also got me contemplating about my secret place. Was it orchestrated for me to find that private beach all those years ago, so I could have that moment when I needed it? Are there really such things as coincidences when God is involved? Probably not. |