Sylvan Beach, NY is a microscopic speck on the map. Yet it’s a tiny slice of heaven on earth that I am honored to call “home”. Just east of the famous Finger Lakes, Sylvan Beach is nestled on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake. The clean, soft sand of the public beach attracts sunbathers and swimmers from the surrounding towns during the short summer season. Mostly it’s a boater’s paradise, with walleye and bass being the most prized catches.
I’m always drawn to the water. Perhaps it’s because I grew up on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, or maybe it’s just that water simply casts a magical spell.
For me, the novelty never wears off. Whether it’s a postcard-worthy beauty or an average one, each sunset pulls at my heartstrings. I always wonder how anyone can watch the day coming to a close and insist there is no God. How someone can believe that our world and all the incredible things in it was simply an accident – created by things colliding haphazardly in the universe.
When do you feel God’s presence?
I feel God’s presence in nature – at the ocean – in rainbows – in people.
Thank you, Shelley! I often find God in nature, but you’ve made me realize I am missing a lot of opportunity by not seeking Him more often in people. It will be a new focus for me!