There’s something about walking barefoot in the sand on a beach. Since I’m near a beach so rarely, I found it especially renewing to stand in the sand and hear, watch, and feel the constant motion of the waves reaching the shore. I enjoyed a few days on a beach in South Carolina last fall, and this scene never got old. It was breathtaking and awesome to take in the warmth of the sun while looking out and seeing nothing but the sky and the approaching rolls of foamy waves—and a few birds gracefully soaring above. Equally moving to me was my gazing down and noticing the many shells scattered along the beach, carried in by these artistic waves and left randomly in place.
As I focused on the shells all around me on the shore, my study of them was more revealing than I anticipated. I was fascinated that many of the shells settled in the wet sand were different from the ones I saw the day before. The waves continually brought shells to this new destination while taking others away, as if they were all on a constant journey. The shells of course varied in size, shape, and shade, and upon a very close look, I recognized that each was carefully, uniquely, and elegantly created. Due to their varied appearance, the shells themselves seemed to carry stories with them, having reached this shore for a short time only to likely leave again. I found some shells that were still beautifully intact; some with just a few chipped edges; some with small holes in the middle. And some just simply broken, only a portion of what they used to be. To me, each of them was imperfect and perfect at the same time, arriving on the shore just as it should be.
I couldn’t help but relate to these simple, yet remarkable symbols of life and resilience, uniquely created but journeying together. I saw my own journey in the lessons of the chipped edges, the emptiness of the small holes, and the loss of the broken pieces. Yet carried within God’s loving wave, I’ve been brought to the destinations and moments that are uniquely mine, thankfully accompanied by the love, faith, and strength of others the Lord not-so-randomly placed on the shore with me. We are on a constant journey, sometimes beautifully intact and sometimes with chips or holes or brokenness. As we arrive on the many shores of our journeys of faith, let us trust in the constant, renewing wave of God’s love, healing, and grace.
Journeying to Grace 