In His Hand

Proverbs 1:33 (MSG)

First pay attention to me, and then relax.  Now you can take it easy--you're in good hands."

Everything about the ocean draws me into a state of relaxation.  Every sense is stimulated as you stand barefoot in the grains of sand feeling the tiny particles beneath your feet.  The smell and taste of  salty sea air combined with the feel of the wind on your face and the ocean ringing in your ears would be enough, but then you add the beautiful details taken in by the eye and suddenly you have such an incredible realization of just how magnificent God is!

One summer as we were playing in the water close to the edge of a little sand reef, I began my usual diving under the water and searching through the crushed shells and seaweed for "treasures".  A treasure, in my mind, is something unique and rarely found.  As the waves were crashing in on me and shoving me into the reef, my mask would not stay in place to see what I was searching for, so I began to dive down and skim along the bottom with my eyes shut.  I would scoop up large handfuls of sand and then resurface to sift through it for unique finds. 

 Keep in mind that I love water, so who knows how long I was out there doing this, but on one of my trips, I got to the surface, opened my hand and there embedded in all of the crushed shells was a tiny whole (no cracks!) sand dollar.  As another wave came crashing in over my head, I gently closed my hand to protect my incredible find.  I swam back to the shore (hard to do with a fist closed), and got out of the water to marvel at this tiny little shell.  How in the world did it make it all the way up to the reef without getting completely obliterated?

I know that's how it is with the Lord....I am like that tiny shell...resting in His hands...protected.

Psalm 139:9-10:  (ESV) If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.