Battling The Waves

We went to the beach this afternoon and spent several hours relaxing, watching the children play and playing with them in the water.  It was a beautiful day and we so enjoyed our time together.

We don't allow the kids to go out in the water past their ankles without one of us with them, for fear they will get caught in the rip current.  So after they played patiently in ankle deep water for a while, Hubby and I joined them in the water and took them out further to jump over the waves.  We had such a good time, trying not to let the power of the waves knock us under.

Princess, bless her heart, kept getting swept under, but she would come up smiling every time saying, "This is great!"  However, after a while, I noticed that whenever a wave came, she would hold onto my waist and use my strength and stability to help keep her from going under.  As I watched, I began to think about our relationship with God and the parallel between what Princess was doing and what we should do.  I have faced many situations where I have been knocked off of my feet, thrown for a loop, and pulled under the water.  As I struggle to find my way back to my feet I finally get my footing, before another wave comes and knocks me down again.  There will always be struggles, they will keep coming, just as the waves never stop.  Some are bigger than others, some more powerful and life changing than others, but I can be certain that they will always come.  I can try to bolster up and handle these on my own, or I can cling to God, who gives me strength and reinforcement when I need it.  If I cling to Him, my chances of going under are much less.  God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble ~ Psalm 46:1. 

I'm so glad Princess was hanging on to me this afternoon, using my strength so that she didn't have to continually be knocked down.  I'll bet my Heavenly Father is glad when I hang on to Him and gain my strength from Him.  I seem to make things much harder than they have to be when I try to go it alone.  It's so tiring when you try to fight those battles by yourself over and over again.  He's standing there, just waiting for me to reach out and grab hold, it's mine if I'll only hang on. 

What a sweet reminder from a sweet blessing from God!