Beach Day

Many of us have a place we like to visit, whether for an hour, a day, or a vacation: the park, a friend or family member’s home, a campground, a favorite bookstore, or a café. One of my favorite places to go is the beach. Something about the feel of my toes in the sand and the sound of the ocean slows my breathing and soothes my soul.

As I was relaxing at the beach with family this summer, I was watching the cutest little boy play in the wet sand by the water. With curls poking out from under his Phillies cap, he jumped in and out of the tiny pool of water (literally about an inch deep) created where the tide had receded but left this water behind. The boy’s hat was tipped down so far, he couldn’t see anything around him…probably not much more than a few inches beyond his own feet. But he wasn’t concerned about that as mom was standing right next to him aware of everything going on around them.  She also had snacks and juice at the ready. I noticed the only time he craned his neck to look up was to communicate with his mother. I think that kind of trust is natural when children grow up with a good parent.

That’s the kind of trust I want to have with my good Father, God. I want to let Him worry about what is happening on the beach of life around me. God already knows about the impending tidal wave, incoming seagulls looking for a snack, or maybe He knows it’s going to be a glorious sunny afternoon. As long as I am looking up to communicate with the Lord, I don’t need to fret about what might be coming. I can simply live in the time and place He has put me, doing the work He has set before me and finding joy in that. Whether I will need a life raft, to learn to share my snack,or just more sunscreen, God will be there and He will not be surprised. Just like He wasn’t surprised when I wasn’t perfect as He is perfect.  It was His plan from the beginning that I would need to rely on Jesus’ sacrifice in my place to be perfect enough to be with Him in heaven. So whether you find yourself thinking about tomorrow, next year, or eternity, know that God will be right there next to you then, just as He is today. He’ll be ready and waiting to provide what you need. As for me, I hope that includes snacks and juice.

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’  My times are in your hands.”  Psalm 31:14-15a (NIV)

Cindy is a blog contributor at Study With Friends Ministries.  If you enjoyed this blog, you may be interested in other ones by Cindy. You can also listen to our Bible studies by tuning in to your favorite radio station, listening to our podcast on iTunes, listening through TuneIn or Stitcher or Spotify, or watching on YouTube.