Lesons from the Beach

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Colossians 1:18-23 ESV). Since I am recuperating well after surgery, Mary is dropping hints about going on a cruise. She has been before and loves the sun and beach in the Caribbean. The beach isn’t quite as exciting to me as it is her since I grew up on the island of Galveston. The beach wasn’t ever very far from my house! She’s done a little research into the sights and activities that might be of interest. It seems some of the islands are better than others. Perhaps we will go. If I do, I think there will be lots of quiet to enjoy. The more I think about it, the more it brings me to a principle of life. The waves are like life in some ways. They build up under the surface of the water, becoming larger and larger as the moments tick away. Then they crest, roll over, and make a very loud noise, bubble and foam, then finally dissipate. This is the pattern of the wave as I have observed. Waves at the beach are never ending. One is gone, and the next rolls in, one after another. Some are larger and louder than others are, but they keep rolling into shore. I believe life's problems are like that. They build up, peak, and dissipate. They may be large, small, or in-between, but they keep on coming. They may crash your life with a resounding bang or make a more soft and subtle noise, but they keep on coming. They may deal with emotions, health, finances, family relationships, or a variety of other difficulties one must face in a lifetime, but they keep on coming. As long as we live in this world, we will face one dilemma after another, be it large or small. The unending load gets heavy after a while, and the waves of life can beat away at a person the same as ocean waves pound at the shoreline. Jesus has told us to come to Him with our burdens and He will give us rest. He said to cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us. He said He would send the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide; to give us wisdom and the strength to survive the battering waves of life. He promised this in the Bible to all who will reach out to Him and believe in Him. If the constant waves of life are beating you down, depleting life's energy out of you, like the grains of sand that are pulled back into the ocean with each wave, call upon Jesus. He will answer the call - you can count on Him.