Pixabay

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A Place to Rest

She stared at the water as if the rest of the world had just fallen away and there was not another thing to look at but this. She didn’t know what exactly it was that entranced her so, but it was always where she wanted to be when the hurt came. Some had getaways off in the mountains, some had a large circle of friends, some had church, but this—this was her sanctuary.


The sound of the gentle laps of expansion and retreat had seen her heart break over middle school boyfriends. The shimmer of the fluid meeting of earth and sky had seen her break over the divorce. The easy balance of the water that rocked her into unimaginable peacefulness had seen everything break when she lost her mother. And now still, during another moment of which she had no control, she laid here beside the beauty of this creation that eased her worries, and she knew now this would always be home.


She heard them say they didn’t understand why she chose here instead of something more sensible. That was okay—she was the only one who needed to understand this connection to the comforting water that always understood her.


She looked over with a pang of sadness as she watched her daughter walk away. She looked so beautiful in all black. Maybe someday her daughter would sit here on this bench beside her and understand what she already did, here you really can rest in peace.

VP GRAVATAR TWO 500

Shannon Leach is a slice-of-life encouragement writer and the owner of A Repurposed Heart and ARH Inspirations. Her authentic stories and books about leadership, life, and loving people focus on encouraging others and reminding them they are not alone. Her work can also be found in Guideposts and multiple Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is the co-founder of the nonprofit The Fostered Gift.

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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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