Footprints at ʻAliomanu Beach in Hawaiʻi

Footprints in the Sand

Footprints fill the sand on the shore of ʻAliomanu Beach on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi, as seen during our 2018 Kauaʻi Trip.

During our visit to ʻAliomanu Beach, which by the way was by far our favorite of all the beaches we visited on the island of Kauaʻi, we walked up and down the beach a lot. And back and forth. In the water and out of the water. There were a few others who would occasionally walk by, too.

All of us beach walkers left lots of footprints in the sand, as you can see here. Interestingly, it looks like many of them have no direction, as they do not follow one clear path. Those would probably be mine, because I would take a few steps, and then turn this way or that to get a photo. I would then take a few more steps, before stopping and turning again. So I really did not have a clear direction. I was just out there walking around.

I know those footprints get washed out and smoothed over at every high tide or every time it rains. They do not hold much significance for very long. In just a short matter of time, it is like the footprints were not even there. But it was still fun to leave our footprints there on ʻAliomanu Beach, even if they were only there for a short while.

Direction

Sometimes it is nice to be like we were on that beach. Wandering around with no direction. Just there, doing whatever.

It might seem like that is how I live my life. At times, I feel that way. But of course I usually have a direction, even if it is not easy for others to see. There is work that provides lots of direction in deadlines. There is family to take care of, which also requires direction. And most of everything else we do in our lives requires knowing at least some general direction of where we are going.

But every now and then we get a few moments to just wander. To watch the waves as they roll in on the shore. Or to watch the clouds as they float overhead. To watch the rain as it drips off the edge of the roof. Or even to watch the birds as they flit about in our front yard at home.

Those directionless times are worth pursuing. They may not provide any tangible value, but they do provide for some relaxation. They can remind you that no matter how things seem to be, the world will keep right on going, and things will even themselves out. Those times remind me that God is in control, that he has been in control for quite a long time, and that he will continue to be in control for quite a long time into the future. He is taking care of all of us, if we just let him.

And following him is our ultimate direction. What more direction would we need than that?

Bible Verse

You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess. - Deuteronomy 5:33

About the Photo

As you might guess, I like these highly color saturated views of beaches. And this was a perfect day with the waves and just a few clouds. The blue of the sky, the yellow of the sand, the blue-green of the water, the green of the trees. It was a beautiful scene. And aside from raising the color saturation just a bit, this photo did not take much work at all.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: July 9, 2018
_Location: _ ʻAliomanu Beach, Anahola, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi