It’s so much fun having relatives in Ormond, Florida. Not only do we get to spend time with them, but we also try to take in the various local adventures as well.
On our last trip, we arrived in Florida on a Monday evening. As we were in the lobby waiting to check in, we saw an announcement on the TV about a launch at Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. I saw the look of dread cross Tim’s face. I chuckled and said, “Don’t worry. I have no intentions of us going to the launch.” Believe it or not, I even forget about it.
That Wednesday morning, we drove all the way down A1A to the end of the island. By the way, did you know beach side of Ormond and Daytona are on islands? Anyway, at the end of the road is Ponce Inlet. It’s a beautiful little community with a light house, inlet tours, cool restaurants, parks, and the Marine Science Center. Since Sara loves turtles and aquatic animals, we went to the science center.
As we were walking up the sidewalk, we heard this tremendous roar and the ground beneath our feet shook. My first instinct was to look up to the skies. I thought it was some kind of tropical storm approaching from the Atlantic Ocean, but the sky was clear. At that point, I felt confused and disoriented. I looked over at Tim and his eyes were wide. “What was that?” Somebody yelled, “Earthquake!” Then I remembered it was Wednesday morning. “That’s no earthquake,” I responded. “That was a rocket launch.”
“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.” 1 Corinthians 2:3 (KJV)
It’s normal to feel confusion and fear when we are faced with the unknown and things that surprise us. But as Believers, we need to remember that The Lord is always with us. There’s nothing He can’t handle or that surprises Him.
Next to the marine center is the Ponce Lighthouse. I took a picture of it before going into the marine center. When I looked at the picture later, I realized all the people on the ledge were watching the rocket going up into the sky. I have to admit, I was a little jealous, but that’s okay. In the marine center I got to handfeed a sting ray and touch a shark. Now, that was cool.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.