No Matter What and Beyond

We are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us. ROMANS 5:5 TLB 

I woke up and opened the blinds to a beautiful sunrise. The morning coastal showers were past and the sky was clearing. My plan to go to the beach was looking good. The temperature was perfect, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining as I drove to my favorite spot. I reached the walkway to the beach and thought the wind was a little stronger than usual, but not too out of the norm. Until I got all unpacked and settled into my chair. The first time the sand blew across my face, I didn’t think much of it. I smiled and thought, natural exfoliation! Then it happened a couple more times. I started noticing people leaving shortly after arriving. The one thing I couldn’t see—the thing I had no wisdom about—was the fact that when the wind is from a certain direction at a certain speed, sitting in the sand isn’t a great way to spend the day. It was a rookie beachgoing mistake, but it was a mistake, nonetheless. 

There are times when we make a decision and expect a great result. There are no giant red flags or glitches that keep us from following through. All the markers look good. By all appearances, everything is going to turn out as planned. And then it doesn’t. Thankfully, no matter what happens we can know that all is well because we know how dearly God loves us. The thing we hope to get better at is making sure we ask the One who can see all things, has all the wisdom and freely offers it to anyone who asks, and oh-by-the-way, has already gone ahead of us. 

I would’ve been wise to watch the weather report that morning before going to the beach, but everything seemed so perfect I went ahead and decided on my own. God loves us and uses our mistakes to lovingly teach us and make us wiser, which is why even our falls prove beneficial. We can stand back up stronger, braver, and believing with more certainty that God loves us beyond the universe and back again. 

Father, thank You for loving me big! 

This is an excerpt from The Beach is Calling: 90 Devotions for Rest & Relaxation – a devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.