Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Safety of the Shoreline

I love fall!! The leaves are turning the most beautiful shades of gold, orange and red. The temperatures are cooling off and air is turning crisp.

It's time to change out the decor in my home from flowers and summer to pumpkins and scarecrows. It's time to change the scents in my home from lavender and lilacs to vanilla and apple pie.

I just love autumn!!!

But...for just a moment, let's enjoy one more memory of summer....

It's no secret that I love the beach. I love the water and I love the way the waves crashing against the shoreline is so relaxing!!

I love to get up early in the morning and walk hand in hand with my amazing man along the shore while the water rolls in and out over our feet. For me, it doesn't get much better.

I found myself in Hebrews last week and I was reading in chapter 2. Verse 1 says this,

"So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." NLT

I just sat and pondered this for a minute and found myself putting it together this way....

As much as I love to play in the water when I'm at the beach, I also love to just get on a float and float around. Up and down, gently swaying with the breeze on the waves, eyes closed, listening to the sounds around me.

With my eyes closed, I'm not paying attention to the fact that my float is floating farther and farther from the shoreline. Many times I have even drifted off to sleep just to wake up and find out that I'm dangerously far away from the shoreline....and this ole' gal isn't a strong swimmer at all.

Panic begins to set in as all I can think of is that I'm going to drift so far out no one will be able to rescue me before I get into some real trouble!!

Thankfully, my ex-Navy-man hubby has kept his eye on me all along, and takes hold of my float and pulls me safely in to the shore.

Now, walk with me through my mind just a moment......

Think of the beach shoreline as the Truth. Just as the shoreline isn't going to move anywhere or change, neither is the Truth. It remains the same.

As I lay on the float, my mind begins to wander and I lose focus and before I know it, I've floated far away from the shore. I'm drifting here and there, farther and farther away.

If I don't read God's Word and stay grounded in the Truth, I will lose my focus on Him and drift farther and farther away from the Him. Before I know it, I have put myself in a very dangerous place.

Panic sets in because I realize that since I'm not a strong swimmer, I'm in serious trouble. Just like when I drift away from the Truth, I put myself in serious trouble.

But just as being under the watchful eye of my DH brought me safely back in to the shore, the watchful eye of my Father brings me to safety as well.

I am so thankful for a heavenly Father Who refuses to let me drift and wander aimlessly but takes hold of my float and pulls me back into the shoreline of His arms.

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