The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning.
Lam. 3:22-23
The ocean laps against the shore. Each wave extends towards the land, then draws back into itself. Sometimes a small shell is caught in this action. With each passing wave it is drawn nearer to the sea. As the water recedes, the shell advances a few inches and then rests until the next wave.
But sometimes the shell gets lodged in the sand. For a time it remains stuck there. The waves continue to lap around it but it no longer advances. The waves however now have another objective. With each passing they are now working around the shell, drawing away the sand that is keeping it from advancing towards the ocean. Eventually, enough sand will be taken away and the shell will be free once again to respond to the draw of the waves.
Watching such a scene unfold at the beach I can easily recognize the similar action of God in my life. His waves of grace have often washed over my life, lapping on my shores and drawing me to return to my Father’s house. Sometimes my return is thirty fold, sometimes sixty or even a hundred fold.
But often, like the sea shell, I too get stuck in the sands of life. Though God’s waves continue to lap on my shore, I no longer respond to its draw. At such times I can easily feel like God has left me behind. But faith tells me, in spite of my seeming lack of progress, that His waves are nevertheless clearing the sand that prevents me from advancing towards His love. Though I might not notice it, each wave is helping remove the obstacles that keep me from responding as I should.
Eventually His grace will dislodge me from whatever is holding me back, and I will be free to respond once more to His presence. Such is the everlasting mercy of God—it is new every morning. Whether we feel free or stuck, we can be certain that His waves are always drawing us towards Himself, and that He is intent on removing every obstacle in our way.
encountering God, who is trying to catch our attention, trying to draw us into
a reciprocal, conscious relationship.
-William A. Barry, SJ
Rob Des Cotes
Imago Dei Christian Communities
(written for Nov. 20, 2014)
FOR GROUP DISCUSSION:
- Consider the action of God’s waves lapping on your shore and drawing you closer to Himself. What is required to let yourself be taken towards Him? How might you be resisting this action?
- What “sands” are there in your life that cause you to get stuck, no longer able or willing to respond to God?
- How might you present yourself to God during these times so that His waves can erode the sand around you and dislodge you from the places you feel stuck in? How is this different from trying to dig yourself out of a rut?
FOR PRAYER: Thank God for His “waves of grace” that continually lap the shores of your life. In your prayer, let yourself be drawn more and more into the ocean of His love.