The ship is departing. Its sails unfurl and catch the wind as it takes off towards an exotic destination. You wave from shore—excited for the adventure that awaits those who have embarked on the voyage.
As the ship leaves port and reaches the open seas you’re left with conflicting emotions—elation mixed with emptiness. A few salty tears escape as you swallow hard to keep your hurt at bay.
You remain.
Maybe it’s because you weren’t invited, or couldn’t afford the passage, maybe it was a timing issue, or maybe you get seasick.
Whatever the reasons, you feel left behind, less-than and lonely (<====Click To Tweet).
You go back to collecting shells near the shore. You slowly dip one foot into the cool water as you gaze at the vast sea before you.
A rush of melancholy musings starts to rise until your attention is drawn back to the beach at the sound of a noisy gull.
You stop for a moment and watch the determined gull search for leftover morsels to satisfy its hunger.
You start to see beauty there in the sand as your gaze is turned from open waters to the treasures found at your feet. You stoop down to retrieve a piece of sea glass. As you place it carefully into your bucket your heart is uplifted.
It took decades for this broken piece of glass to transform into treasure—smoothed and shaped by the tumbling and grounding of the sea. Yet it emerges, altered and improved, after years of refinement. This slow and steady process has added value to this one-of-a-kind darling. It didn’t fight the waves but allowed their pressure to bring forth a deeper glory.
You stand now, a little taller than before. The ship is gone but you are finding renewed purpose on the seashore. There is grace to be found here, hidden beneath grains of sand.
As you walk slowly you start to see your reason for being here. Your mission is to find those gathered at your feet, to pick up the broken and discover the beautiful, to take the pieces and see how they fit together—a colorful mosaic of His doing.
The mundane feels more meaningful as you let go of your hunger to sail and determine to comb the beach for hidden gems. The longing to sail lingers yet fresh resolve to stay swells from within. You stop fighting the coming tide and let it wash over your feet, like sea glass.
True peace surfaces as you follow the steps of the Savior. He might surprise you by calling you out on the waters. Or He might ask you to remain on shore and feed those gathered there. He might tell you to throw your net overboard again, even though you’ve caught nothing for a long time. Or He might let the storm rage as you learn to trust Him in the midst of it.
Your path might look different than you thought it would, but don’t lose valuable time longing for another journey. Each path comes with its own set of trials and triumphs, tailored-made to transform you (<====Click to Tweet).
Set your gaze on the steps before you and wholeheartedly follow the One who gives you a hope and a future (see Proverbs 23:18).
Whether you are sailing the seas or collecting sea glass on the shore you can rest in His ability to get you from Point A to Point B. Embarking on a new adventure is often exciting and scary, and the ending is often surprising and fulfilling, but the uncertainty of the middle can wear on us.
Don’t despise the mundane parts of your journey; don’t get sidetracked. Steadily follow the One who knows how it will all turn out. Enjoy His Presence as you spend time together, whether on shore or at sea.
God meets you in the middle and, I dare say, that is where the magic happens—right there, in the mundane and the messy, you encounter the Majestic.
Stay the course, even when your journey looks different from what you expected.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. –Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message
-Are you missing the sea glass because you hunger for the thrill of the open seas?
-What is God teaching you in the midst of the mundane parts of your journey?
Shared by: Katie M. Reid
This made my heart ache and yet rejoice. I’m still in the process of watching my ship sail away…it’s at a great distance now though. Thank you for making me want to pick up my bucket go search for the beauty that’s laying all around me.
Thank you for sharing. I’m learning that there’s much beauty to be found on shore. Hope that you are too. 🙂
I felt so serene and at peace with the place that God has placed me. It reminds me of the verse in Phil. 4:11 where Paul says he has learned the secret , in whatever circumstances, to be content. (my paraphrase). The fact that where I am now is where God wants me to learn contentment and where He will deal with me in His transformation process. Wonderful words of great value to me today.
The gift of contentment- I am continually learning how to receive it. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your comments here.
This was beautiful. My head says “yes” to everything you say, but my heart? If I am honest, my heart has become so weary of the dunes… and the seemingly endless waiting. I know I should have found it by now, contentment. Alas, I have not. (no one knows that better than God and myself) I know God is faithful, I know all the trite Christian clichés, but frankly I have found a deeper compassion for those who lose faith. I don’t agree, but I have a much better understanding of why.
Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing Martha. Yes, the dunes can lose their wonder as muscles ache from climbing them- with no end in site. But, the view from the top can be breathtaking as one day, things are seen from a different perspective. Contentment is hard, I’m trying to learn it too. So glad that we can trust Him with our discontentment and that He cares about our sore faith muscles.