Beauty Under Water

Hi everyone, So I had a morning hike with my best girl at Lake Monroe's Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula trail(what a mouthful, haha). Unfortunately the beach was gone from all the flooding we have received as of late so in order to not lose her to the lake, she had to mainly just admire the water.🤣

This trail out onto the peninsula is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots to relax and spent quiet time with the Lord. It never fails I find a little spiritual tidbit to take home. This time as I am staring out at the feet upon feet of water that has enveloped the beach that is no longer visible, He didn't fail: Just because I can't see the beach any longer doesn't mean it isn't there. I know, super life-altering right? 😆 But just follow me here...even though the waves of water have seemingly engulfed the once idyllic beach doesn't mean is has ceased to exist, never to be enjoyed again. In time the water will recede, the dam will be opened, and the beach will reappear yet again. In the same way there are perhaps things in our lives that seem to be "under water". The once beautiful things in life we had, now bashed and covered by the waves of turmoil and testing. We look and we can no longer see them and somehow we feel as if they are gone, never to return. But be patient, just because you cannot see something right now, doesn't mean it isn't still there. Once our hearts open to Christ's plan and our trust is place in Him, our struggles with eventually receded and our hopes and dreams and joy will come back. We will see the shore again.

But we must also remember. When I go back once the waters have receded, the beach will not be the same as before. It will have changed. But I guarantee it will be as beautiful as before if not more so. It will be fresh and ready to provide joy yet again to its visitors. When the waters of turmoil recede in our lives, we will not be the same. We may bear the evidence of the struggle in us for a time. But we will be beautiful and I believe even more so because of the God who washed us clean and new. He will use those troubling times to bring about His grace and goodness in our lives and we will yet again see the beauty He has had in store for us all along, even when we couldn't see it. It may not be exactly what we envisioned before, but I believe it will be even better because He is so much greater than our finite minds can comprehend. Tumultuous waves create smooth, shiny stones, a piece of dirt becomes a beautiful pearl inside an oyster, wind beaten, twisted trees I've seen on the California shoreline still grow and reach for the skies, and our greatest dark spot and struggles can become a glorious testimony to God's redeeming power in our lives. Never forget it. The beach will return and when it does it will be oh so sweet.