Let All That You Do Be Done in Love

Let all that you do be done in love.
I Corinthians 16:14

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Robert was hungry, already frustrated with sightseeing, language barriers, and cold April rain. His first full day in Nice, France, was not what he anticipated. Flight delays, jet lag and lost luggage left him exasperated, but his wife, a French teacher, was in heaven.

So this is my first day in France. How did I let JoAnna talk me into this?
 
Resting against a bench, he lit a cigarette and glanced around.  Steep mountains framed the east and casino lights dotted the west.  He sighed and tried to appreciate a moment of peace before touring began again. Cigarettes usually relaxed him.
 
Shivering, he pulled his jacket closer and squinted nervously down the beach to locate his group. Please Lord. Help me enjoy this trip. Despite overcast skies, he spied two girls near crystal blue water. Anna’s blond ponytail bounced as Elise chased her.

Elise will be first to get her clothes wet. She can’t resist aggravating her mom. Lord, please keep them from fussing.

He rolled his eyes at these nine-year olds. Their moms, childhood friends, laughed from a safe distance. They spread out jackets and backpacks as everyone made the most of the time they had on the beach. Grateful for sleep, three teenagers traveling in their group lay motionless, exhausted from the previous day of traveling. Another student took pictures.
 
Leaving noisy traffic behind, Robert grabbed his umbrella and souvenirs from Nice as he stepped onto a beach unlike any he had seen. No sparkling white dunes. No sticky wet sand. No tides. Only small waves rolling in and out. The smoky color of smooth stones piled one over the other blanketed this stretch of Mediterranean shoreline. He slowly made his way toward JoAnna.
 
Robert liked seeing his wife smile, and he eased down in front of her. He stretched his long legs, getting comfortable on impossible rocks.  She pulled him close and whispered.
 
Thank you for coming on this trip with me. Now, close your eyes. I have a surprise.
 
He grinned devilishly but obeyed. Instantly, salty air filled with sounds of softly clapping hands. Then silence. Giggling, she lightly kissed his cheek as the waves glided once more over stones on the beach, and rounds of ovation erupted again. Mesmerized, he relaxed in her arms to rhythmic applause of gentle waves. The student taking pictures quickly captured this moment for them. 
 
Thank you, Lord. I might survive this trip after all.

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