Lessons we can all learn from The Forgotten Coast

Life Lesson right here, y’all.  Listen up:

I recently visited the “Forgotten Coast”.  The drive along Florida’s west coast, from St. Marks to Mexico Beach, is called Forgotten Coast Highway. On a postcard I purchased it reads, “Quaint towns and tiny fishing villages dotted along the Gulf of Mexico’s sandy shores.  This is old Florida!” Such a beautiful and peaceful drive. Old Florida for sure. Pine, cypress, oak, and palm trees often lined the roads, when sandy white beaches or marsh weren’t too visible. Off-the-beaten-path restaurants are hidden gems, where you are served with not only delicious food, but a side of southern draw too.  (I fit right in.).

We stopped at a few places to enjoy the delicate caviar of the south…oysters.  I didn’t become a fan of oysters until about three years ago. I’ve now tasted them steamed, baked, and even raw.  Baked with some Parmesan and bacon on top is the one for me. Yes, please and thank you.

We stayed at some dear friends’ home in Port St. Joe. Back in October of 2018 Hurricane Michael made a mean appearance to this area, with the hardest hit being in Mexico Beach.

One night we drove into town for dinner.  I was in the backseat, while Cole was driving and Tim was navigating from the passenger seat. We did a detour to where the marina used to be.  We had eaten there just two years ago. Now…gone. Completely gone! Cole glanced back at me and asked if I was crying. “Yes.” Was my brief reply before I composed myself to give the mom-life-lesson my kids have become accustomed to.  I asked if we could go to Mexico Beach the next day to see the progress. Here is a list of thoughts I jotted down on our drive to and through Mexico Beach:

• Trees twisted, broken, and bent.
• Community is resilient, strong, and appreciative.
• Half of the homes completely gone…Pilings just standing or empty slabs.  Emptiness. Campers for homes. Blue tarp on roofs.
• I saw a cross made of wood on an empty lot…loss of life or home.
• Groups of people still on the beach. Life.
• Home with no entry due to stairs gone. Yet you see the stained glass still hanging from the top floor window and knickknacks on the window shelves.
• One could see the opportunity here.
• Hope.

This category 5 hurricane named Michael, took place one and a half years ago.  You can still see the effects of the violent winds and storm surge. When I asked the cashier at a local store how they are doing, she said with a smile, “We are strong, rebuilding, and appreciate everyone’s business here.” You can see from the photos below (read the captions for more insight) how homes, lives, and businesses were dramatically uprooted.  My heart sank at the sights. Yet, I was encouraged to see life still taking place. Workers rebuilding. Vacationers enjoying their friends and families. Businesses reopening with hope. Hope…this is the feeling I walked away with after we departed Mexico Beach.

One scene I saw, but didn’t capture on video, was a cross that was standing tall and strong in the ground.  It appeared to be made of some broken wood from a home that was once there. My thought, that quickly turned into a prayer, was “Was there a loss of life, or a loss of a home.”  I pray it was the latter.

Reading this list, you can think about your own life as well.

Have you ever felt, or feel now, broken, bent, and twisted?  Do you feel misplaced or empty? It is my prayer that you will stand tall and strong like that cross, feel hope in knowing that God loves you so much and will rescue you, and be strong in the Lord.  You may even fall to the ground in surrendering to God.  Be confident in the fact the when you are weak, he will make you strong.  He will lift you up and give you a rebirth like never before.  Fill yourself with the love that Jesus Christ has for you. Fill yourself with His word. You are resilient! God has some wonderful opportunities awaiting for you. Call. Out to Him and seek the goodness He has for you.

I also think about how devastating this pandemic has been, is, and will be for God knows how long, to multitudes around the world.  We have ALL been effected in some way. There’s a saying I have always used while raising our children or when difficult situations happen, “This too shall pass”.  Yes, this disturbance in our lives comes with a lot of unknown factors, yet isn’t that just like faith?  Faith is believing in what you can not see.  Faith is stepping out into the unknown knowing that God has your back each step of the way, and that He goes before your every move.  This disturbance is no surprise to God.  Nothing takes Him by surprise.   I do pray that a cure will be discovered.  I pray for our government in the wise decisions they are making, medical professionals for dealing with endless hours of handling patients and loved ones, truckers who deliver day in and day out the needs of all, our first responders who help to maintain safety and reassurance, our pastors who try to bring comfort to many as they themselves have never been through something like this, our children to stay imaginative and strong while being a kid, and the list goes on.  Let us all be a little more kind, loving, compassionate, joyful, selfless, and peaceful through this time.  May we be united and supportive of each other and do the right thing. May we never forget how strong we all are when we work together for the common good.

With God we are resilient.  Have hope.

Now, go put a smile on God’s face and help others around you through this time in our lives.

Be strong and be brave. Don’t be afraid of those people because the Lord your God is with you. He will not fail you or leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 

Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. Romans 12:12 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Blessings to you and yours,

Stephanie

If your interested in some of our brief Spring Break adventures (brief due to the Coronavirus and my man being a financial advisor), here you go:

• The beach…Oh My!…you can have fires, vehicles, and dogs on the beach.  You just may see a deer, bald eagle, bear, or even a gator there too. Seriously.

• Indian Pass Raw Bar. http://indianpassrawbar.com/

• Shark fishing with Joel and his dog Ellie.  Follow him on social media as Cape Surfaris.  We fought, caught, tagged for research, and released sharks on Cape San Blas.  So cool!!!

• Up The Creek Raw Bar. https://www.upthecreekrawbar.com/ Located on the Apalachicola River.  An adorable old Florida town with shops and restaurants.

• Joe Mama’s Wood Fired Pizza. https://www.joemamaspizza.com/ Everything was delicious, not just the pizza.

• Owl Cafe & Wine Room: http://www.owlcafeflorida.com/tap-room.html Yummy duck fries.
• KrazyFish Grille https://www.krazyfishgrille.com/ Tim had a fried grilled cheese burger. What? He could only eat half. Luckily we had Cole with us to finish it off.

• Lynn’s Quality Oysters, Inc. https://www.lynnsqualityoysters.com/ We purchased extra fish dip and shrimp dip to bring home.  Yum! This place is still rebuilding, but the food and marketplace are in business.