I love the beach. Give me a week on the beach, and as long as I have a stack of books to read (or a loaded Kindle), I’m content. Perhaps it’s because I live in central Illinois, nowhere close to a beach, nowhere close to a balmy body of water. Whatever it is, being at the beach is a treat I savor.

But, staying on the beach for a week has its costs. I miss out on anything…well…non-beach. To some, that might not seem like a big deal, especially compared to life in the midwest, particularly winter. But I recently left the resort for two full days to venture inland, and I was so thankful.

I would have missed so much. People. Mountains. Homes. Small villages. Waterfalls. Rivers. Roadside stands. The lushness of the land nourished me, as much as the waves and sand refreshes me. As I soaked up as much as I could, I realized I was still missing some things. I couldn’t take it all in. But I could take in what was in front of me.

When I don’t go where I’m supposed to go, I miss out on what I’m supposed to see and experience. I miss out on new people, changed perspectives, and renewed attitudes and passion. I can only be at one place at a time, but I can be fully present in that place and time. Otherwise, I not only miss out on where I’m not, but I also miss out on where I am.

Today, take a look around. Perhaps the routine of it all seems too familiar to notice anything new. Perhaps the newness is so overwhelming you can’t imagine taking it all in. Either way, there’s something for you to see, to do, and to become. Don’t miss out. Follow God well.

He leads well.