A dear friend and I were heading back from the beach a few days ago, and he said to me, “You realize that there is only so much you can write about in regards to the beach and sand.” I smiled, because, of course he is right, and Sand Between My Toes is about the Journey of Restoration, not the beach in and of itself.
The beach, however is a place that draws me, I never grow weary of it. I love to look at the natural beauty and marvel at the variety of people as they experience the sand between their toes.This recent trip to the Gulf was especially charmed, it is my favorite beach. The sand is soft and white, and it is composed of a high percentage of Quartz, so it is always cool to the touch, especially between my toes.
This recent season of my life has left me searching for what is next. I find myself in the “Empty Nest” category, and although I thought I would just slide right into it, this season has proven to create some unanticipated challenges. I won’t go into the details of those challenges, much has been said and written about the “Empty Nest”, but spiritually, I have felt the Lord pressing on me to take inventory of my faults.
My Life Coach training moves me in the direction of looking at the strengths of an individual, including myself, and honing in on making the most of those strengths and thriving in that energy and space. Naturally, I was not eager to take stock of my faults, but I have been taking notes , pondering them and praying release from their grip on my past choices, relationships and future. What could become an exercise that would lead to feelings of failure and inadequacy, is a process by which I am learning to entrust them to Jesus and “Forget the former things….” (Isaiah 43:18) Holy Bible N.I.V.
Psalm 139:2 says “You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all of my ways.” Verses 9-10 go on to say “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your Hand will guide me.” Verse 17, “How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them, Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” Holy Bible N.I.V.
I don’t quite know what is next for me, but I am still and at peace knowing the truth of His Word. Transformation of my faults start with my thoughts and heart as they are restored by the sacrifice and resurrected life in and through Jesus Christ my Lord. The truth is that the journey encompasses the good and the bad, we each are broken creatures. Despite that truth, we are deeply Loved and given opportunity for New Life in Jesus. In Him, I can even look at my faults and know that they are the former things that have no authority over my life and future.
What is next? New Life in Jesus, even if I settle on the far side of the sea………..I hope and pray that you seek out and experience this gift as well……
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