Camping at Huntington Beach State Park

In March, we visited Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC. We had a full hook up, back in site which I loved because the spot was  sunny and we had a nice tree in the back where the kids could play under the shade. We had a picnic table and a fire pit. We were also within walking distance to the public restrooms and showers if we needed them. We had adequate privacy and space between our site and our neighbors. The staff was welcoming and the campground was clean, beautiful and had its own private entrance to the beach.  Even though it was cold, my children enjoyed wading and splashing in the water. My 4 yr old daughter kept telling me how she was not afraid of the waves anymore and I can see how proud she was of herself for facing her fear. My children would spend the day collecting sea shells peppered all over the beach, playing on the street with chalk, racing and walking around the campground. Located inside the park was a playground that was well maintained and that we visited a couple of times. Some nights we sat around a campfire while my husband told them stories.

The park was only 5 minutes away from Brookgreen Gardens which was memorable. This garden was magnificent in beauty and in scale. There were trails, picnic tables and even a zoo inside. We visited the Marshwalk a couple of times to have dinner. The place is lined with restaurants on either side. We met a woman in her 90’s while waiting on our table at Russell’s Seafood Grill. She was there to have dinner with her daughter and her daughter’s husband. I will never forget how she gave my oldest daughter a hug before they left the restaurant, the kind of hug that was warm and made you feel special.

On our last night at the park, we had new neighbors, a couple, Carol and Jim. They had a van they converted into a mobile home back when it was not yet a popular thing to do. Carol saw we had a mini Aussie shepherd and she started talking about how they recently lost their Australian shepherd who was 16 years old. Carol’s most unforgettable feature was her purple hair and she rode an electric scooter which my kids were really fond of. They used to have an alpaca farm which I found so interesting but now they spend their days camping and gardening. It was nice to get to know this couple who shared a part of their lives with us.

This most recent trip seemed like everything went according to plan. It didn’t. Our first day in the campground we found out we cannot use the water because of some connection issue in our trailer. It took us 3 days until we got someone to fix the problem. For three days, we did not take a shower. We had to use water from the water bottles to wash our dishes/hands and to drain the potty after use. I was also so sleep deprived as my son got sick and it took him about 4 days to have any restful sleep. But through these unexpected hurdles, this trip became one of my favorites. Instead of being resentful and anxious, I incredibly felt calm. When usually I would have been irritated and testy, I was patient. I ascribe this conversion as nothing more than a grace from God. I knew with certainty that it was God’s grace and a sign of His mercy. You see this was during Lent, which is for Christians a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prior to the start of the Lenten season, I had decided things to do to prepare and I have been consistent in doing them. I kept away from social media, had my prayer time first thing in the morning, prayed the rosary at night, visited the Blessed Sacrament once a week. But as Lent progressed, these pursuits gradually became more of a checklist to tackle than real ways to encounter Jesus. I patted myself on the back for being so disciplined and self assured. Then one day I blew up. I got angry. I shouted and said some awful things. God made me realize that I have started relying on myself, attributing the “good works” I have been doing on my own abilities. I have forgotten the purpose of my lenten sacrifices. The scripture John 15: 4-5 comes to my mind…

4. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

I remember after that incident, instead of wallowing in guilt, of letting my failure drive me into despair, the realization of my need for humility made me more confident and hopeful in God to change me. This was the mindset I had going in to our camping trip and I think it had made all the difference.