We took a day off.
We’d been running hard all weekend. The beach. The horse arena. Los Angeles. The beach again. Our favorite restaurant. Church. And we’d planned on going to San Diego on Monday.
Cindy looked at me Sunday night. “I think we need to create some space tomorrow. I just want to sit in your living room and drink coffee.”
As soon as she said it it clicked.
Of course. It was their last day in Southern California. But even though they’d been here since Friday, we hadn’t had time to do the things we like to do best: sit around with guitars and sing. We hadn’t had time to let the kids watch the movie we’d rented for them. We hadn’t had time to bake the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins Cindy knew how to make.
We’d been doing amazing things, but we hadn’t created the space that makes friends feel like family and not like parallel tourists.
So yesterday, we scrapped the San Diego plan. Ninety-plus minutes in the car both ways didn’t seem like something anyone wanted to commit to.
We woke up late. We ate breakfast late. And when we felt like it we jumped in the car and drove to the local regional park 10 minutes away. We rode the train and rented surreys to chase one another around the bike paths. We let the kids climb a tree and took a group photo in the shade of a giant oak tree. We walked slowly and talked and let the kids run ahead.
We rested and created space.
And now I’m typing this in my kitchen with one eye on the oven timer to watch the pumpkin muffins. The husbands and Cindy are singing in the dining room, guitars and three part harmony my background to this post.
And there’s space.
Space for the kids to play outside together. Space for us to grab take-out later instead of worrying about what to BBQ for dinner. Space for laundry and walking the dog and doing some lazy, normal life together.
I wouldn’t trade this day for any tourist attraction or exciting activity. Sometimes living quietly is much better than anything else.
To view video click here.
Have you been able to create “space” lately?
In the hustle and bustle of the new school year, I find that it has been very easy for my ‘space’ to get neglected. Yet in realizing this just last week, my husband and I made a very deliberate decision to just be and create space together over the past weekend.
It is wonderful to be part of many things, but it is equally important to remember that even God Himself created ‘space’ and rested. This is something I have to remind myself often. The song was absolutely beautiful, btw. Just the thing I needed to hear as I get off and running for the day. I’m very happy you had a wonderful time together. There’s nothing quite like strong friendships.
That song is BEAUTIFUL!! How awesome. Can you point out ‘who’s who’ on the video?
Love. <3
We are in the midst of remodeling an entire house and often find ourselves having to create spaces for our family; otherwise, this house and its condition (it was a foreclosure that had been trashed) would consume every waking moment. We've found that, for us, it's all about being deliberate. The speed of life does not discriminate and will steal every moment that is meant to be savored. So glad that you all got to enjoy one another. And that you were willing to share with us. Beautiful.
this is beautiful, sarah! that is my absolute faaavorite thing to do in the world when i’m visiting friends or they’re here to see me – just relaxing and being together and worshiping.
(i also live in what is perhaps The Least Exciting Town in the World, so there’s not really the option of doing anything more fun than that, anyway. but, still! still, i wouldn’t trade times like that for anything else. good choice.
love.
xo
I have always LOVED this song, the message and the melody. Beautifully sung!
During the summer, my husband and I carved out space regularly but now school has started, I can already tell, creating space is much, MUCH more difficult. With all the responsibilities he has life seems way too busy.
Struggling in this…at a loss…
love that Beall Family! Glad you enjoyed them in all aspects! You are a wise girl, Sarah Markley!
One of my absolutely favorite songs!!! And the voices…the voices rang out with praise to Jesus!! Thank you for sharing!
I love quiet and restful days. Creating space internally and externally is very peaceful and relationship building. I am very glad your ‘friend’ can have the realness in your relationship with you to say ‘I just want to sit and enjoy each other.’ It sounds like you had a wonderful ‘memory making’ day.
Someone asked about who was who.
From left to right
Chris Beall
Cindy Beall
Chad Markley
(and I have headphones behind the computer)
And…the song is actually called How Deep the Father’s Love
Thank you for the wonderful song!
We were able to create space yesterday by just saying “no” sometimes that’s all it takes. We said no to “closing out” the last day at our neighborhood pool with friends and went home to eat chinese leftovers, watch Camp Rock 2 and just be together as a family. It was perfect!
you now have me googling recipes for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins! because…they sound delectable!!!
and i ‘created space’ yesterday. i had a to-do list a mile long but i knew the list could wait. it’s not every day you get a work-week day off. i enjoyed it in all it’s glory!
and for some reason the video isn’t loading but seeing where you commented and said it was ‘how deep the Father’s love’ makes me want to figure out SOME way to watch it! love that song. i think it’s because my computer is being completely wonky.
Been following your blog for a couple of months now-thank you for the video share. It was beautiful; so beautiful! (and if you all make a CD with vocals and guitars, I am surely going to buy it!!!)
Oh the space in between.
i have been so guilty of cramming everything into a small space of time and i stressed myself out!
i am learning slow…and learning how to just be…and it’s beautiful because then i see more of what is happening around me.
and oh my! totally LOVED the worship. i have 3 guitars and don’t know how to play at ALL!!!! someday, i will learn. then i will go to the beach and just worship! that is my dream, really.
Thank you for the reminder of creating space.
And for the worship…tears.
just what i needed to hear and remember. and, to top it all off, that’s my favorite song ever! what am i so busy for? i cannot boast in anything… but Him.
wonderful post!
You know this is awesome. We all need to make time to worship, rest, and fellowship, particularly with friends or family we haven’t seen in awhile. Good reminder as I’m preparing to go on vacation next week
First of all, breathtaking. Is there an audio only track so I can listen to that over and over and over?
Second, I often worry when people come visit that there is nothing grand here. There is only me and the dog in my four walls. There is no going out to eat or movies or parks or sightseeing. There’s not even opening a door or much to look at out my windows.
But I have decided my life is dedicated to making the space be what people need. I love when people come and relax in pajamas and sweats and relax. When there are no pretenses or worries or shoulds or watching our words. I love when deep breaths are taken and people fall asleep during movies and take the time to be whatever they need to be.
Sometimes I worry that that’s not enough. But mostly I just hope people leave more filled and rested. And know there is a place where they are always welcome and never judged and always loved.
it’s enough, sara. i can imagine the falling asleep to movies. thanks for that picture.
Oh is it ever enough, Sara. It’s personal and close and without the distractions that pummel us every day. It has been such a blessing to visit you and I never knew the words to use to describe it, but you nailed it. Filled. No pretenses. And Riley to boot.
Thanks so much for the wonderful reminder. We tend to get so caught up in “doing” that we forget how great it is just to sit with friends and and family enjoying their company. Amazing worship song, took a few minutes to listen to it a couple of times. Took me back to my younger years when the best thing we would do is sit around and sing together. Would love to be able to have that and more of their music. Blessings to all.
thank you, Sarah, for sharing your space with us… for reminding us it’s okay to just be together, without a lot of props.
I also loved gitz’s comment. That’s what I want too!
Amen.
Hi Sarah,
My name is Carmen and I love your blog. I decided I need to get better about commenting on all the blogs I read. Right now, I have too much space. I need to get my tail in gear about the whole getting a job post-grad school thing. Haha. But when I need space, I love to just chill w my IPOD or a book and daydream. Or read blogs. Seriously.
i love to chill with music and a book too. good luck with finding a job! i hope the perfect one shows up for you.
Needed this, like the air we breathe. Thank you!
you’re welcome!
love this! so glad you guys got a relaxing day!! those bealls are good people
they are, aren’t they? and…we had fun with you on Saturday too. so cool to experience that with all of you guys. =)
Beautiful~ really. Thank you for sharing your space with us and letting us rediscover our own.
you are welcome, niki
This is my absolute favorite song! My husband sings this song on his guitar and it gives me goosebumps everytime. I think I about exploded with that three-part harmony.
Thank you for sharing this!
Yesterday I had big plans for us and instead scrapped them and we headed to the dollar theater with all four kids to watch Toy Story 3. It turned out to be such a relaxing fun end to our Labor Day weekend.
oh i exploded too. seriously. every time. and i love the dollar theater. we call it the “buck-fiddy” =)
Beautiful ! They need to record together!
they do, don’t they?? for sure.
Wonderful video and recording – I really enjoyed it plus the blog post! Very timely:) It is really important to have the space and time to let things unfold naturally. I did that with my twin daughters and grandkids this weekend. So much fun:)
Laura T
sounds like a great weekend, laura!
I needed this tonight, Sarah. Thank you for giving me the space I needed to remember whose “wounds have paid my ransom.” You can read my blog post tomorrow to see how much I needed the “space” you speak of. Thank you!
Debi
oh, that’s beautiful debi. i’m glad that their worship did that for you.
space was just created for me… singing a 3rd/4th harmony with chad and the bealls. hmmm, so good. i needed that.
you would have been awesome in that harmony, denise.
I added a 4th too. Mine was up… where was yours?
I was able to come back and listen to the song. Crying. Thank you!
you are welcome.
Such beautiful worship, thanks for sharing! What a way to quiet my soul at 1:00 on a Wednesday afternoon.
love. this.
sister sure can sing.
The Markleys are good, good people. Love them so big. Thank you, C & S for sharing your home, food, children and hearts with us.
I’ve enjoyed your blog for a couple years now and have never commented. God’s blessed you with an amazing gift and you definitely use it to His glory. Thanks for sharing that incredible song. I needed to hear it today.
Couldn’t sleep, catching up on blog reading, listened to the beautiful song, met with Jesus, spent some time on my knees! Now I know why I couldn’t sleep…I needed to be with HIM for awhile…thanks for sharing this! HOW DEEP IS HIS LOVE FOR US! Amazing, powerful words, wonderful voices