Sitting on a beach towel, I watched my boys splash in the ocean’s waves. Standing with water to their knees, they waited patiently for each wave to roll in over them. Over and over again, the waves picked them up and tossed them ashore. They had no fear; bliss alighted their faces. I could hear their wild laughs linger in the air that brushed cool against my cheeks.
I didn’t want to be there. My to-do list was long and my mind was filled with all that was left undone at home. Thoughts of, “What if I don’t get this done?” and “I just can’t do this” spun around my brain, keeping me from noticing the beauty of the teal blue waters and cloudless sky. Putting everything aside, just to sit and watch my kids boys run on the beach, was not on my agenda. But my son was there for a Scout meeting, and I didn't want him to miss it.
I sat there and watched my children play while my life's worries overflowed the banks of my heart. I wondered, what would it be like to just run free, splashing in the joy of a life lived full, liberated of all worries and cares? Could I let go of my burdens and just enjoy the moment with my boys? The very weight of my worries felt as though they just might pull me under, a riptide dragging me into the sea of fear.
Gradually, the sounds of the waves began to drown out the cries of my heart. The power and strength of God spoke with the rhythm of the ocean's waves. With each crash upon the shore, I heard a quiet whisper of hope. It was a reminder really, of something I already knew, but all too often fail to grasp.
I plunged my toes deep into the cool, wet sand. Wiggling my toes up and down, I could feel the grains rub against my flesh. I was reminded of the Scripture where God told Abraham that each individual grain of sand represented the number of His children. (Genesis 22:17-18) The shore I stood on reminded me of His covenant promise--He will be our God and we will be His people.
And because He is my God, He cares for me. As God’s child, He cares about all that burdens my heart. Just as He has counted each grain of sand in which my toes were plunged, He knows the number of my hairs which blew in the coastal breezes. He who keeps the tides on schedule also knows all of my worries and fears.
The ocean, so big and vast, reminded me that God is even bigger still. There is no problem of mine too large for Him to carry. Just as the ocean responds to the sound of His voice, the storms in my heart are stilled by the power of His word in Scripture. An anchor in the stormy seas, His word reminds me that just as my sins have been tossed into the ocean depths by Jesus’ death on the cross; He also frees me from all my cares.
Being at the ocean that day was just what my heart needed. Seeing the work of God’s hand crashing ashore right in front of me reminded me of His awesome power and strength. The soothing sound of the waves cleared away the distractions in my mind so that I could remember His promises in Scripture. Over and over, as each wave came upon shore, my heart rejoiced with the thought, “He is my God and I am His child.”
The ocean's music, in harmony with the One who conducts it, calmed my worried heart. And with each crashing wave, the tide of His love pulled the worries right out, casting them into the very heart of the sea. Leaving the beach that afternoon, my boys and I carried with us some of those grains of sand between our toes, a little reminder that He is our God and we are His children.
