"You are an endless ocean, a bottomless sea"

I have always been and will forever be drawn to big bodies of water.  My spirit simply feels freer with the large expanse in front of me.  It's my sanctuary.  The place where I know I can go to connect with the Lord. 

This past weekend, I was able to visit my grandparents in Florida, and my grandma, Nini, mentioned how she thought that waves and God's grace are connected.  This got me thinking and the Lord began to speak, as He often does.

When walking on the beach, eventually a place is reached that is constantly changing.  It's where the waves break and come up onto the shore.  No matter how many footprints are put in that place, the water will always wash the beach clean.  This is not true all over the beach.  Just one or two steps away from the moldable area is sand that is still damp, but is not subject to constant change.  It is close enough to the water's edge to still feel the effects, but not enough that every mark will be washed away.  That sand does not get to be scorching hot.

Then there is a third place where the sand is white and powdery.  This kind of sand is what helps distinguish one beach from another because it creates beauty.  That pure, white sand is what is associated with incredible vacations.  It's also the sand that feels every degree of heat from the sun and though it remains beautiful, it eventually becomes unbearable to stand on.  The water begins to look incredibly inviting.  

Now look at the story in a different light: with us as the sand and the water as God's love and grace.  When we are in the moldable distance, where we are influenced, shaped, and touched by God's love, we are given endless opportunity to be cleansed.  The prints and marks we create, good or bad, or washed away by the great expanse of God's love.  

The sand that is moist, but not constantly touched by the water, can represent people who are believers but still feel like they have to earn love.  They won't come close enough to be washed by the water because it is scary to be encouraged to change and be molded.  

Finally, the pristine, beautiful, white sand, is never influenced by the water.  It is beautiful, yes, but it never gets the refreshing, cooling quality of the water.  Those people do not get the chance to experience the relief of being washed and cleansed by the Lord's love.

I think the overarching lesson is that proximity to God's love leads to some challenging times of being molded and washed clean, but that pain is worth it to be able to fully experience the relief of being loved unconditionally.  

What's great is that the ocean is in constant motion and no matter what we do, the waves just keep coming.  

Waves on waves of grace and love.