Beach Musings

Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

We went to the beach earlier this summer. JJ was granted paternity leave at his work, so we took advantage of it to make some memories as a family.

Once at the beach, Liam plopped down under the shade of the umbrella we had set up and got to work on building a sand castle. He had already told us innumerable times on the way there that he did not want to get into the water, and he was determined to stay as far away from it as he could. I knew he was scared.

In the meantime, JJ and I took turns between watching the baby and dipping our toes into the cool ocean water, all the while beckoning Liam to join us. As fearful as he felt in the moment, we knew he’d love the ocean if only he would step into the water. We kept trying to convince him that we would keep him safe. We wouldn’t leave him. We would hold his hand. Still, his fear gripped him, and he seemed incapable of believing us or even understanding.

Finally, after fifteen minutes or so, I told Liam he would have to at least clean the sand off of his arms and legs with the salty, ocean water before we left, so he immediately got up and did so. He must have mistakenly thought that we would immediately leave thereafter.

But then it happened. He let the waves wash over his toes and discovered just how much he enjoyed it.

Soon he was skirting between the ocean and shore as he gleefully let the waves chase after him. Then he dared to go in even further, accompanied by his father, as he allowed the water to inch up to his calves. And shortly after that, the two were sitting along the shoreline, letting the rolling waves approach them and knock them back like a puppy rushing up to his owner in excitement upon his owner’s return.

We stayed at the beach much longer than we intended to that day, and when we finally gathered up our belongings so that we could leave, Liam complained about having to go. He understood from the beginning the dangers of the ocean, but now he discovered a newfound love at the beach that required him to move beyond merely sitting in the sand.

I don’t know what made me think of this time at the beach a couple of days ago. It seemed so out of the blue.  But I do know this–the memory makes me want to mentally prepare for whatever may come.

The truth is, most of us probably prefer to sit in the sand making sandcastles in a figurative sense. Not only is it fun and familiar, but it feels safe and is an activity that can easily be controlled. The ocean, on the other hand, is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and certainly could not be considered safe beyond the shallows (and sometimes not even then). But there is an adventure to be lived past the shore, and if Jesus is beckoning us to walk with Him amidst the waves, He must have good things for us in store. It’s not to say we won’t experience hardships nor that the waves won’t inundate us at times, but even then, God will be with us. He will never leave us. He won’t let go of our hand.

Years ago, I told myself I would not allow fear to dictate my future, and I have experienced some incredible moments and grown deeper in my faith when I have consciously lived this way. As I think of Liam’s own initial fear of the water and how it almost kept him from experiencing something incredible himself, I want to be ready to say yes to whatever plans God has for me, despite any initial fears. Because making sand castles is fun, but I believe God has a greater adventure in store yet.