COLUMN: Blessin' Destin: God spared our wonderful city by the sea

My wife, grown family and grandchildren have vacationed in Destin for many years.

There are so many fond memories associated with Destin and the surrounding neighborhoods that it is no wonder it has grown to be like a second home for us. 

Just the other day my daughter was sitting at a local coffee shop on the patio and the breeze was blowing in her hair, and she said it reminded her of sitting up at AJ's in the late afternoon watching the fishing boats coming back from a day or afternoon fishing trips.

We were so worried after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that the beautiful sugar white beaches would be ruined for years on end. But once again, Destin was spared from yet another disaster. 

However, this shouldn't be shock anyone as I truly believe that God blesses this great little fishing village. Where else does a local newspaper such as the Log provide an entire section in their weekly newspaper for articles from local pastors? 

The yearly Blessing of the Fleet, where pastors from all denominations come to pray and ask God's blessing for safety and a bountiful catch for the new year, is yet another example of where Destin places its priorities. The Bible clearly records the history of the cities that were blessed because they trusted God in times of trouble and thereby were protected and spared from His wrath. 

I am not saying that those cities and villages who have experienced disasters aren't placing their trust in the Lord. I'm just saying that sometimes God stills the storm and other times he allows the storms to rage and calms the child. 

I feel that one of the reasons so many families return to Destin year after year is that they sense the same thing that I sense — and that is a town that places their trust in their Lord.

Norm Finfrock is a retired art teacher living in Arvada, Colorado.