An Ocean Moment

A few weeks ago, I had the joy of making a road trip with a girlfriend to the ocean. Oh my goodness, were we excited! A get-away to our favorite place! Rolling, splashing waves, sunshine, sand dollars galore and the door to the ocean open all night to hear the waves! We brought food with us that we could snack on but didn’t cook much at all! Homemade BLTs were our biggest effort and we promised ourselves one dinner out. Of course, the stay included chocolate of all kinds! Yep…I’m talking heaven, in the earthly sense!

On our first day there, it was so beautiful that I spent some time taking photos as we walked the beach. What joy it brings to me to photograph the beauty that we have around us and the people in it! The water was like glittering diamonds! We had beautiful, clear blue sky, and the sand was warm and squishy beneath our feet.

It was on the second day as we were walking the beach that my “key moment” came to me. As I was walking along, a small wave hits my legs and gets the cuff of my jeans all wet. Pretty soon another one. I am now walking the beach with very wet and heavy jeans. But as I am walking along, a thought came to mind, “I don’t want you to get a little wet in your relationship with Me, I want you to dive right in! Be bold. Be joyful and let it over take you. Trust Me.”

As I continue to walk, I am pondering this thought when another BIG wave hit me. It made my pants wet all the way to my thighs. I’m thinking, “Yep, what difference does it make now?” So I just walked out into deeper waves and leisurely walked all the way back and singing. What an amazing freedom it gives you when you don’t care if you get wet! I think God specifically sent those bigger waves right at me because He wanted to share this with me. I had been going through a real rough time. How did I receive it? I think He told me, “Don’t just dip your toes in the water of relationship with me. Walk out into the deep! Don’t settle for a few sprinkles, let it pour all over you! Just like you felt the joy, freedom and total abandonment once you were all wet, you would have that same freedom and joy with Me. Come on, JoAnn…walk out into the deep with me! Let me take care of all these burdens you have been carrying. Let them be washed away in the ocean waves so that you can be free of them for good!” I have to tell you a burden was lifted that day!

I walked all the way back walking freely in the waves without care of anything but enjoying the sensation. I challenge you to seek Him the same way. Jump right in with Him! Let the waters of His Spirit roll over you so you will never be the same. I will never forget that special moment.

The next beach you go to, the next sprinkle you see, or the next hose that shows up, just step with freedom right into the middle of it and abandon yourself to its freedom, letting your cares roll off, right back to Him. And remember, don’t miss the whisper of an ocean moment!