Article December 28, 2015 Issue

Insights at a seaside village

Kim Shippey

It was one of those days on which the Psalmist would have had a ball! “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24). “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy” (Psalms 5:11, New Revised Standard Version).

My wife and I were exploring the main street of a quaint New England seaside village, exulting in the warm sunshine and the smell of fresh-baked pastries wafting through open shop doors. We could hear the sound of the ocean and the trees of the field clapping their hands (see Isaiah 55:12). But for those visitors anxiously looking for a place to stay, one sign was right in their face: NO VACANCY.

It appeared again and again—tucked into beds of dahlias, petunias, and marigolds. In those moments, accommodation seekers probably found their delight in the beautiful setting turning quickly to disappointment, and it must have been hard to sing at all! Definitely no clapping.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Celebrating the integrity of man