A Friend’s Email, Beaches, Waves and God’s Love

There I was in Michigan at a Church Conference with a sick husband by the time we arrived.  After a night of chills and fever and a Dr. who prescribed much needed antibiotics. Still too sick to travel home or attend the conference we had no choice but to stay put – wondering why we were there. I sat in on a few sessions and made a few significant personal contacts but the most important was what happened at Glenlord Beach that second day.

Earlier that day I email my friend, telling her I am going to the beach for a quiet time. I almost decide not to go when I receive an email from her telling me she is praying for me as I go to the beach. She has been aware of my struggle with doubt these past weeks – all my wondering if prayer mattered and while I know God is good overall, does He ever really care about how I feel? The past weeks I have been wondering…

And so, sensing God would have something there for me, I get in the car and drive over to Lake Michigan.  I walk out onto the bluff overlooking the beach.

The untamed beauty blends with the drabness of the beach cluttered with debris. What I notice most are the waves. I sit down and begin to write the thoughts that are running through my head.

Lord,
I come here with a sense of expectation.
Karen asked You to give me
a visual of your love here today.
You often speak to me through nature,
so I am listening.
You know my questions . . .
my doubts of your goodness . . .
doubts of your love . . .
I am not used to doubting you.
It’s a dark place to be,
yet I sense you telling me
“Don’t rush through this.”
I think you have something here for me to learn.
And so I look out onto the beach.

Waves never fail to intrigue me.
I love their beauty,
their constant-ness.

I love the frilly, lacy frothiness as they break.
how they caress the sand.

Nothing happening on the beach
changes the rhythm of the waves.

And then I know what you are saying to me . . .

Carol:
The source of my love has nothing to do with
what you are doing
what you are feeling

It has everything to do with
my love for you,
constant
beautiful
covering
The waves a “visual” of how
I caress you with my love.

I just keep loving – you!
even when you don’t feel like it.
even when you are broken
and especially when you doubt . . .
It doesn’t matter
how you feel about my love
or if you feel it at all!
It still keeps coming,
like these waves . . .
over
and over
and over again.