This morning I was bombarded with an overwhelming feeling of brokeness, and I felt like I would never be happy again. I didn't understand what had come over me. It was sudden and unexplainable, so I began to pray.
My prayer life has been lacking for weeks now because I always seem to be interrupted, forgetful, or think that I don't need to pray for anything. It's when I reach a point of total discouragement that I realize how much I need my God and all that He is to keep my life on track. Which is why I reach rock bottom in the first place: God desperately wants me to talk to Him!
After some much needed heart to heart with God, I decided to get out of my tiny apartment and dip my toes in the ocean with a friend to try and pull myself out of the rut I was in. As soon as I felt the water hit my feet and saw the waves crash against the shore I began to feel a calm rush over me.
My intentions were to collect shells for a while as I walked the shore, but my short walk turned into a 2.5 mile trek to the pier. Along the way, I was amazed by my surroundings: the clear blue of the ocean, soft texture of the sand, unique shapes and colors of the shells, the sounds of seagulls calling out to passersby, crashing waves, and the cool breeze flowing from the ocean. I felt the Spirit capturing my attention within me being that the two most extreme ways I experience God are through worship and nature. I prayed a prayer of amazement, thanks, and had a conversation with God about how cool I thought He was for thinking of all these little details that make the beach environment unique. This led to my prayer, or rather hope, that I would find one good unique shell that wasn't chipped or in fragments because in North Myrtle Beach finding a good shell is nearly impossible.
I continued walking to the pier when I noticed a pale gray swirl in the sand. I picked it up and smiled to myself because God had given me my shell. I was overjoyed that God would do something so simple yet so special for me because He loves me more than I can fathom and loves to show me that He cares. It reminds me of Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” 
The rest of the trip, I continued to talk with God, and He never failed to show me He was there. I found another perfect shell as well as a sand dollar, the pier was beautiful, and the sun setting behind the numerous resorts changed the color of the ocean.
The Spirit continued to fill me as I ended the night by serving food to the homeless at Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church. I couldn't help but feel love for the people that passed through the line because the joy that was present on their faces as the volunteers and I handed them their food was incredible. They have so little, but though they may not have it as well as you and I, they carry on. As it says in 1 Peter 4:10 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." We were made to serve and it is when we serve others before ourselves we find the most happiness.
I am so thankful for God's gentle reminder today that I need Him regardless of how strong I think I am. When I submit to His power and let Him control my life and acknowledge my weakness, He has room to show how much He loves me. As children of God, we are called to remain in constant communication with God. It is then we are able to receive His grace and mercy.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6
With love,
Trish
P.S. Continue to be praying about my job search. I've still had no luck, but God's got a plan for me still. :)
Trish! This was exactly what I needed to hear today. You are the second person in the past few days to share Zephaniah 3:17. Thank you so much for this post! I am so glad that you are finding God and meeting him where you're at! Enjoy your shells, they're perfect! =)
ReplyDeleteAnna