Every Saturday morning for the last few weeks, I have woken up early and driven forty-five minutes to one of my favorite places, Assateague Island. Once there, I stand in awe as I watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. It is different every time; it is majestic every time. The last few times I have gone, it has been below thirty degrees plus the wind coming off the ocean. It can be brutally cold and some of my friends have asked, "Why do you do this? You drive all that way to see the sunrise then get back in your truck and drive home. It makes no sense. Why?"
What they fail to see is that the purpose of these trips to see the sunrise at Assateague is to stand in awe of the majesty of God. In addition, it is about getting away from normal life to a place where I can be alone and separate myself to be immersed in the presence of God. On these mornings, I sit and read, journal, worship, walk the shoreline, and stare in wonder at the glorious creation that surrounds. It is at the same time overwhelming and centering; it brings both peace and passion.
This past Saturday, I was walking the shoreline and stopped to stare out at the ocean and as far as I could see East, the ocean stretched out. Now, next to me on the shoreline the water was shallow, freezing, but shallow. However, if I were to venture out into the water in a vessel, the further from shore I went, the deeper the water would become. These thoughts inundated my mind as I realized that in learning to trust God fully, we have the choice to stand on the shore or press out into the deep.
Now pressing out into the deep will cost us some things. It will cost us hopes and dreams that we will have to surrender to God's will. It will cost us our pride and our strength. It will cost us to let go of the fear which so easily grips us because of the uncertainty of the next steps and grab hold of God alone.
It is easy to say and to think that we trust God when we are standing safely on the shore. This is because standing on the sand, while not as firm as concrete, is still something that we are used to standing on. Standing on the shore, we speak trust and belief in God and this is good. But, at some point we are going to have to get into the water and push out into the deep. If we are to do that which God has planned and envisioned for our lives, then we must take courage and move. Pushing out into the deep requires trust and it will build trust within you as only times of hardship or difficulty can. It is only in trying times, difficult circumstances, or through heartbreak that total trust in and reliance on God can be formed.
I am still learning what it means to truly trust God in every single situation, especially when His will for my life doesn't line up with what I thought was coming next. The bottom line is that to trust God is to brave the deep, knowing that He will take care of every moment past, present, and future, and living in that knowledge and love.
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