Holding Loosely

Have you ever been to the ocean and stood where the incoming waves swirl around your feet, washing away the sand beneath them? A strong enough wave can actually wash away enough sand to completely knock you off balance.

This happened to me when I was a child; the swirling waters stripped the sand away from under me and the next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, swallowing the salty water rushing over my face. I have never completely made peace with water and waves. To me, they just can't be trusted because they change so quickly.

That's kind of the way life is at times. Just when you think you have a firm foothold, the waves of change flood over you, knocking you off your feet. And at times, it feels like you're drowning under those salty, rushing waves. It's unsettling. It's painful. It's the way life is.

I'm finding that there are two things I need to do in such times. First, hold tightly to God because He will never change. Second, hold loosely to the things of this life because they will never stop changing. These days, I find myself holding all the more tightly with one hand even while working to loosen the grip of the other.