Friday night I attended an opening reception for an art show I’m featured in down at the oceanfront. Between negotiating the windy rain and finding a parking spot close by, we were happy to finally be inside tasting wine and cheese!
It was a delightful intimate show – the first of its kind at the Old Coast Guard Station, usually just a museum and gift shop. But just for one magical evening (and now extended to a month-long show) it was a nautical art gallery with beach themed paintings and photography.
Because it was a new and interesting venue, and a place most of us not visited, everyone was interacting in a more familial way. Even though the evening was less than friendly outside, the ambience of old and new friends amid photo shoots between boats and seafaring dudes in dioramas, warmed the evening and the hearts.
I was charmed by two lovely English ladies helping with refreshments, discussed the coming about of this premier show with the museum director, met a lively photographer from Brazil, as well as discovered opportunities in the gift shop for my art prints & cards.
As the reception drew to a close, we joined some old and new friends for a light dinner, while being further entertained by a talented musician at the piano bar. All in all, it was a memorable evening. It was definitely worth ignoring the weather and the early darkening night!
What I was reminded of, as I reflected on the evening, is what an impact your attitude and openness to new experiences, places and friends you haven’t met has on your direction in life. When you decide to just show up and be in the moment, enjoying the people, sights and sounds, drinking in everything you can with all your senses, you relax and are more ready to go with the flow.
It is in the ebbs and flows of life where relationships are formed, destinies are directed, life is lived out. The ebb and flow is like breathing in and breathing out. Both are back and forth, one exchanging positions for the other.
Make a decision to exchange thinking ahead and worry for relaxing and focusing on what’s happening in the moment. The future will take care of itself. Being truly present with someone is truly the best present you can give them. It will surprise you how great it feels when others get in the boat with you and join you in the moment as well!
Remember Jesus example as he was involved with boats? He ordered peace in the midst of a storm, spoke to an abundance of fish, and called Peter to walk on the water. He fully lived in each moment, and they became teachable moments for those who followed him. Letting Jesus in your boat will help you breathe better, relax more, and live life fully in each moment we have! Invite him to participate in your moments today.
Link to the Old Coast Guard Station: http://www.oldcoastguardstation.com/
For more pictures of the evening, visit: http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh15/real-lifepix/ArtShows/?albumview=slideshow
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