For me, it doesn’t take much effort to appreciate spending time by the Sea.
I was reminded of this last week as I took a few days to enjoy Her many splendors. From a cool breeze, to a refreshing swim, to walks on the sand, to mindful meditating;
I always feel invigorated when I am in Her presence.
Recently, I read that I no longer need to feel guilty about this indulgence,
as science now confirms the importance of Her Gifts.
There seems to be no denying that both sea air and salt water have positive health effects on our lungs, skin, circulation, moods, serotonin levels, mental concentration, muscles, and melatonin levels. So as I was reflecting on so many of the ”feel good” benefits from this great resource, I started thinking about “the other gifts” that our great oceans and seas thanklessly provide to all of us.
It is a reality that water covers over 70% of the earth’s surface area and that we are the only known planet to have bodies of water on its surface. These great seas and oceans produce over half of the world’s oxygen, and without them we probably couldn’t breathe! They also control most of our earth’s temperatures by transporting heat from the equators to the poles, and through this transport system they are the regulators of our climate and weather patterns. Thus, our water systems have the incredible responsibility for managing most of the air, food and water supply on our entire planet! Clearly these “Gifts from our Seas” cannot be overestimated, because without them, most of life as we know it would cease to exist!
With the above in mind, my gratitude for our Oceans and Seas has become much more profound and sincere. I earnestly pray that our earthly community will treat our Great Waters with the utmost respect, and that we will all learn to pay better homage to one of the most important foundations of our human experience.