Rest Assured
There’s nothing like the beauty of the beach to put things in perspective. I’ve always loved the beach. I love the sound of the waves crashing and the tide coming in, the smell of the ocean breeze, and the feeling of the sand in between my toes. I grew up getting to visit the beach every summer, sometimes staying weeks at a time. We would spend all day on the beach, laying on chairs in the sand or surfing and jumping the waves. And although it didn’t happen often, I also loved waking up to watch the sunrise over the water. I’ve always felt that there is nothing more peaceful and restorative than the beach. It has always been a place for me to experience God’s presence in new ways. It has been a place of rest, a place where I can breathe easy and put any worries or anxieties away.
However, going to the beach with a toddler can definitely feel anything but restful or peaceful at times, especially a toddler that hates sand. Our sweet boy absolutely refuses to walk in the sand, even with shoes on. He acts as if the sand is lava and can’t be touched, therefore begging us to hold him. Let’s not forget he weighs the average weight of a five year old. So while visiting the beach this summer, we got the privilege of trudging around our two year old hulk through the uneven sand. Thankfully he was content to sit under the umbrella, watch a show, and eat snacks. That definitely was a relief for us throughout the day. But when he wasn’t sitting or being held, he wanted to be in the water. Our little boy LOVES the water and especially the waves, so his hate of the sand was definitely made up by the joy on his face when in the ocean. He loved to splash into the waves or sit on his daddy’s shoulders and hop the waves. So many big smiles and lots of sweet laughter in the ocean that I’ll always remember, alongside of the crying and screaming in the sand. That’s our boy though. His highs are high and lows are low, just like his mama as my parents and husband would say. But getting to experience the beach with just my husband and our two year old was so precious and beautiful. Memories that I will always cherish and hope to make more of in the future.
We were blessed to even be able to go to the beach this summer. I had booked it months before we knew if my husband had passed the bar exam. If he didn’t pass, we would have had to cancel the trip in order for him to stay home and study again. But thank the Lord he passed the bar! Not only did we get to celebrate by taking our beach trip, but we have gotten our husband and daddy back full time. There’s nothing sweeter than watching our son playing, singing, reading, and just being with his dada. And I absolutely love the moments that we’re all three cuddled up together on the couch or in the bed. He even wanted both of us to lay in bed with him at bedtime while we were at the beach. We sang song after song and said our prayers together. Those are some of the sweetest memories that I’ll always remember. I’m so grateful my husband passed the bar and we were able to go to the beach and create such beautiful memories, even if the days on the beach were different than before our wild boy came into our lives.
Despite the unrestful moments on the beach with our toddler, the beach was somehow still a restful safe haven. I’m always able to experience God’s presence when being surrounded by His beautiful works of art. I swear He lives in the sound of the waves crashing, breeze blowing, birds chirping, and children laughing on the beach. At one point when my son was content under the umbrella and I was sitting in a chair with the tide coming in on my legs, I notice my cheeks were sore and realized I had been smiling for a very long time. I had just been looking around at the beauty of God’s presence in both the beach and my family. And I started to ask myself why I struggle so much with anxiety, fears, and worry. Why I don’t just trust in our Maker.
One author put it simply. Marshawn Evans Daniels states that TRUST is Total Reliance Upon Spiritual Timing. Reading this actually helped me realize how much I hold back my trust from the Lord. How often I put my total reliance on my own plans and timing. How I believe I know what’s best for myself and my family. How I pray for God to do things in my will and not His. How I sometimes would rather hide my head under a blanket than fix my eyes upward. How I let anxiety and fears for my future control my ability to trust in the One who is in complete control.
When I think about trust, I think about how much I trust my husband and how much our son trusts us as his parents. Full reliance. Complete faith. Total surrender. My husband might laugh while reading how I fully trust him no matter what, but I truly do. I give him a hard time sometimes, but I trust him with my life and with our son’s life. Our boy might not fully understand what we ask him to do or not do, he might throw fits when he doesn’t get his way, but he is fully reliant on us to take care of him. When he is upset, scared, hurt, frustrated, hungry, tired, and in need he runs to us with complete abandon. He trusts us to take care of him, help him, feed him, clothe him, put him down to rest, and provide for his every need. He trusts that we will come running to him every time he calls for help. He trusts that we will protect and comfort him when he is scared. He trusts us to pick him up when he falls, gets hurt, is tired, or simply wants to be held. He trusts us to carry him through the rough terrain of the sand and to not let him drown in the choppy waters of the ocean. He doesn’t worry, but instead fully trusts that we will be there for him every day and in every way. When I think about how much our little boy trusts his father and me, I wonder why I struggle to put my full trust in my Heavenly Father.
I’ve always heard that being a parent changes your perspective on how God sees us. That could not be more true. I think that is the most beautiful thing about being a parent. While the love that I have for our son is immeasurable, the love God has for us is still probably so much more. If I would do anything to keep him safe, healthy, and happy, then I know our Heavenly Father would move mountains to take care of His children. My son cannot do anything that would make me love him any less or keep me from wanting to help him and care for him. In the same way, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our son trusts his father and me with reckless abandon because he rests assured in our ability to care for him. Therefore, I will rest assured and put my trust in the Father that is incapable of breaking His promise to love and care for His children.
Psalm 40:4
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Romans 8:35-39
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Matthew 6:25-34
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”