Play in the Waves
This week, Matt and I were able to get away for some much-needed rest to celebrate our 15th anniversary on the beach! I love going out to the ocean and listening to the waves. There is nothing more peaceful than this. I feel like I can always hear Jesus so clearly out there—it’s my favorite place to be still and listen to Him.
The last few years have been great, but also full of change and uncertainty. This year, I’ve had some health issues arise that have added an extra layer of stress to my daily life. So I went into this trip really looking forward to enjoying some peace and stillness with Matt, as well as hearing God’s voice regarding the season of life I’m in.
As I sat on the shore and watched the beautiful waves crashing, I couldn’t help but people-watch too. Lots of children confidently played in the waves, gliding along them with boogie boards. Toddlers splashed at the edge of the water. A precious elderly couple played in the waves too—the husband giggling at his wife as a wave caught her by surprise.
The ocean is definitely something we should have a healthy fear of. Things like riptide currents, storm waves, and sharks are dangerous and can tragically claim lives. Still, every day, children play fearlessly in the waves.
Kids don’t read news reports about tragic beach accidents or scroll through bad news on social media like adults do. They play blissfully unaware. God takes special care in watching over children, and He puts people in their lives to watch over them, too. Not only do parents watch their children as they play, but any stranger with a good heart would quickly run to the aid of a crying child. Kids are so protected—and they know it. You can really see it in the joy they have when they play.
But what if they did hear all that bad news? What if they knew how powerful and dangerous the ocean really is? It wouldn’t make the ocean any safer for them to play in—it would only rob them of the incredible experience of enjoying the beach as a child.
As I considered all this, I heard Jesus whisper to me,
“Christy, I want you to learn how to ‘play in the waves’ of your life with childlike faith. Yes, waves can be dangerous. But if you learn how to trust Me like a child, you’ll have a lot of fun, too.”
Childlike faith is so difficult to master as an adult. Because we’re responsible for our work, our homes, our kids, and more, it’s easy to forget that we have a perfect Heavenly Father who watches over us better than even the best parent here on earth. He loves us deeply, and He wants to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10). How deeply it must grieve His heart when we’re so overwhelmed by the “waves” around us that we miss the beauty in each day.
I hope that what God showed me about my story resonates with you today, too. While we will all face trials of many kinds here on earth, may we all have the childlike faith that silences every fear—so we can fully enjoy every good thing God has given to us.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”—John 10:10 (NLT)
“Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven… Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.’”—Matthew 18:2–4, 10 (NLT)
