The habits of a lifetime can be changed given the right circumstances. All of my life I have definitely not been a beach lover. In Australia, that’s tantamount to being considered odd – decidedly odd.
The beach is part of the culture of the majority of Australians. It is no coincidence that most of our cities and settlements have sprung up along the coast line. Even despite all the sun cancer preventative ads and warnings that appear every summer on TV and radio, Australia still has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world.
But when you live in Western Sydney, as we did for most of our married life, it puts paid to any thoughts of the beach. To take public transport, as we went for years without a car, makes it a major undertaking. And even if you do have a car, to sit in bumper to bumper traffic spending an hour and a half to get to the beach, before finding there’s usually nowhere to park the car anyway without it costing – that’s assuming you can find a parking space at all, makes it all too much hassle. Then, the beaches are crowded. Sprawling for hours on the sand sun baking has never been my idea of fun. With my inherited English fair skin I quickly turn the color of a boiled lobster despite lashings of sun cream applied. It’s a standing joke in our house, that I can get sun burnt under a strong lamp!
Then, of course, we moved to Orange, which meant even further west and further away from the beach. The nearest beach was then four hours away from us. This meant the beach was removed from the equation, unless it was vacation time.
But now we live on the south coast, myriad beaches are now only ten-fifteen minutes away and the habits of lifetime have changed. My husband and have discovered that given the right circumstances i.e. proximity to the beach, we are beach people after all. Most days we take ourselves off to one of the pristine beaches, which even with holiday makers and tourists remain relatively uncrowded. It’s a great way to spend some time before hopping in the car, coming home to have a hot shower and get on with whatever else is on the agenda for the day. Is it any wonder my husband and I are so thankful to God for this beautiful place He has brought us too?
Since God changed our circumstances, the habits of a lifetime have changed. Maybe there is some habit you have acquired over the years, that you think can’t be changed because it is ingrained. But God is in the business of changing lives. And nothing is impossible for Him. If in such a short time, He can change two avowed non beach people into beach lovers, He can do anything.
Please visit these related blogs
Blooming in the Right Place
The Gift or Blessing in each day – part 2