From Rhino Sanctuary to Beach Chaos: Even When It Doesn’t Go as Planned

Photo by Lucas Alexander on Unsplash

I recently had the chance to attend a spiritual retreat in Southern California. On that retreat, I was given the incredible gift of five hours to spend with Jesus. I was excited about the opportunity to spend time with God. 

My daughter and I found a Rhinoceros Sanctuary on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/babyrhinorescueorg?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==), which has some of the best videos of Rhinos ever.  According to their Instagram page, their sanctuary was only 10 minutes from where I was.  I thought it was a great place to spend time with God next to a Rhino sanctuary of one of my favorite animals (behind Anteater).  I set out to enjoy myself and put the address on my phone. Only to get to the address, and it's not there.  So I checked their website, and it has a different address about 30 minutes away.  I say sure, why not?  When is the next time I could visit a  Rhinoceros Sanctuary? 

I am driving in the backcountry, with these beautiful homes along the rolling hills. The sun is out, and I listen to some of my favorite worship music. I am excited to see some Rhinos and hang out with God. When I got to the new address, I found no Rhinoceros Sanctuary. I am disappointed and frustrated that I feel like I am wasting this gift of spending time with God.       

So I decided to go to the beach. My phone says I am only about 15 minutes from the beach. So, I started heading west to the beach.  Guess what happened? I got stuck in traffic for 45 minutes. Now, my attitude is moving from disappointed to highly frustrated.  I am sitting in the car, and for some reason, I am getting frustrated with God, saying don’t you want to spend time with me? Why are you making it difficult?  I know it was not God's fault, but I was disappointed that I felt like I was wasting this gift. 

I finally got through all the traffic and found the beautiful blue beach water. Then, somehow, I missed the perfect parking spot right next to the beach's opening. Instead, I had to parallel park (which I hate) and park about a five-minute walk away. When I got set up at the beach, my five hours with God was down to two and a half. I am still frustrated, but I am grateful for my time with God. I get my Bible out to read, reflect, and be aware of God's voice. After about 30 minutes at the beach, I realized that the tide was quickly coming up, making me pick up my beach stuff and get back away from the tide.  So, after resettling as far back against the rocks, I pulled my Bible back out, and about 20 minutes later, I realized that the tide was still coming up and soon the ocean water would wash away my stuff. Not wanting to be surrounded by water, I packed up my stuff, did my 10-minute walk back to the car, and returned to the retreat center. 

I get back to the retreat center.  I decided to grab my hammock to hang from two trees. I am walking through the beautiful Malibu forest, but I can not find two trees where I can safely hang my hammock.  I tried a few different trees, but I was unsuccessful. I finally found two trees on which I could hang my hammock. I swung the cables around the trees and grabbed my Bible for my last few minutes with God before I needed to report back.  I go to lie in my hammock, and the bottom of my hammock scrapes the ground. I am not even able to fully enjoy my hammock. 

My time is up with God. I had this five-hour gift to hang out with God, and I feel like I just wasted it with all my good intentions. 

As I put all my stuff away so I could continue with my retreat, God reminded me that even though my day with him did not go the way I wanted.  He was with me the whole time.  When we had five hours together, He reminded me that He does not want to spend quality time with me, but is also there in the frustrations and disappointments in life.  I was so busy creating the right environment or space to connect with God that I missed spending time with Him. I often expect God to show up in specific ways, but I can frequently forget God.  

Today, God's reminder is that He wants to spend time with you, no matter what I am doing. Don’t wait for the perfect setting, mood, or moment to spend time with Him. He’s already present—in your delays, detours, frustrations, and ordinary moments. Whether you're stuck in traffic, chasing a plan that keeps falling apart, or just trying to find five minutes of quiet, God is near.

This week, carve out a few moments—no matter where you are—and simply be with Him. Put down the expectations and just show up. He’s not waiting for the right setting. He’s waiting for you.

Maybe you’ve been trying to connect with God, too—longing for clarity, deeper peace, or a sense of direction in the midst of life’s chaos. If that resonates with you, I’d love to walk alongside you.

Spiritual direction is simply a sacred space to listen for God together.
If you're curious whether it might be helpful for your journey, let’s have a no-pressure introductory conversation. You can email me at zmimboden@gmail.com or schedule a time directly on my calendar: calendly.com/zmimboden. I’d be honored to explore this with you.

GOD, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in! Psalms 139:1-6 The Message

If this encouraged you, would you share it with someone else who’s felt frustrated in their faith?