Life's a beach

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Over the weekend we went with some friends to the beach. This was a milestone event for their family as their 2 year old daughter, Brooke, made her first visit to the beach. As they arrived, Brooke saw the waves rolling in and declared that she would stay in the car.

After joining up with us, Brooke got excited watching my kids play in the surf. Then her mommy & daddy went out into the water. It wasn’t long before Brooke transformed from reluctant beachgoer to seasoned beachcomber, but there was a catch. Brooke entered the water safely in the grasp of her parents. Even though she was overwhelmed by the waves, she was confident in the safe grasp of her parents. Before long Brooke was staring down waves twice her size, but confident that she would not be overtaken.

This event reminded me of a passage of scripture I had read recently:

Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)
I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.

Many times we are like Brooke. The Lord has guided us to a new place in our lives. A place with great uncertainty that reminds us just how small and fragile we truly are in comparison to the circumstances of life. We see the waves of challenge and difficulty as they crash down on the shore before us. We watch as the landscape changes with each new wave. The shells deposited by the last wave are now swept out to sea and even the sand under our feet is shifting.

As we stand there looking at the intimidating surf, a reassuring voice says: “Come on, lets go.” You feel a strong hand grabbing hold of you and before you know it you are no longer on the shore, but now bouncing around in the surf. You see the waves breaking in front of you, but the strong hand lifts you up at just the right moment and the wave passes by never overtaking you. By the time it is all over this “beach” experience has become a special time in your life and you are almost saddened that you have to leave it. Your Heavenly Father has not only kept you safe, but He has enlarged your understanding and appreciation for the experience gained.

Today you may find yourself chest deep in the pounding surf of life. Follow Brooke’s example and place your hand into the strong hand that will never slip, never leave and never fail. Take confidence in the fact that your Heavenly Father will not only hold tightly to you, but He will lift you up at just the right moment so that no wave overtakes you.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl