crash into peace…

Earlier this year, my fiancé and I were in West Palm Beach, FL. While we were there, we ended up spending some time at the pier. It was absolutely beautiful. For a little while, we both just stood there silently and took in all of the colors, the breeze… the peace. Staring out at the vast, crystal blue water, I observed the movement of color and of the waves. The way that the blue gradually changed its hue, going from dark in the deep and becoming lighter as the shallow waters met the shore. The Lord showed me that the water represented us. Each hue of blue representing a different stage of our process of restoration in Him. Let’s break it down.

1. “The Deep.” (Deep Blue)

Let’s talk about what it means to be in the deep. It’s not an easy concept to fess up and dive into (see what I did there?). This is what we often refer to as “rock bottom”. When we get to this place, it feels so isolating. It’s a place of sin. It’s a place that feels like we have gone too far to come out of. We almost can’t see where we came from anymore. We feel lonely, we feel dirty, and ultimately like we are unworthy of being rescued. In the deep, we have a recollection of where we came from and where we belong, but there isn’t a huge want to get back there. There may be a spark of desire, but it is drowned out by the feeling of hopelessness and defeat.

In the deep of the ocean, there isn’t much movement. There are waves forming, but there isn’t enough force to cause much impact just yet. The wave needs more strength. More direction from the wind. This is much like us. When we are in this stage of “the deep”, what we need isn’t to fall into isolation or to cast ourselves into exile. What we need is more intention. We need to be more intentional on seeking direction from the wind… our Heavenly Father. To ask him for the strength to get out of this stage of stagnant waves and onto the next one. If we don’t do this and if we aren’t careful, we can get caught adrift.

adrift: (1)without motive or power and without anchor or mooring; (2) without ties, guidance or security; (3)free from restraint or support; (4) not controlled and living without a clear purpose or direction.

There are so many more definitions and descriptions of this saying, but you get the picture. It’s a dangerous place to be in.

Being caught adrift can leave you tossed back and forth, no progression. You remain stagnant in the same routines that then become cyclical. This stage leaves us feeling trapped and desperate to be rescued.

“Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from the deep waters, from the power of my enemies.” ( Psalms 144:7 NLT)

2. “The In Between.” (Gradual Contrast Between Light and Dark)

Coming into this section, there are a few questions that may arise. Questions like:

• What brings us out of “the deep”?
• How do we get out?
• Is there a change that happens?
• What causes that change?

There is a saying that says: “You’re not done, ’til you’re done.”

It’s often used when referring to a bad relationship or just a generally bad situation. It’s ultimately saying that you will not be able to get out of your situation until you are truly and whole heartedly ready to do so. So, how do we get out of “the deep”? Well… you have to want to. It sounds super simple, but it’s true. Before you can get anywhere, you have to want it. You have to desire change. What you desire will determine the direction you take.

“ Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:21 NLT)

The change of what you desire is a shift. A shift in direction, a shift in focus. How do we change our desire though? Honestly, it comes from a place of sacrifice. You have to sacrifice yourself and your own wants, to then trade it for desires that are aligned with God’s will for your life. He will do it for you, but you first need to ask.

“ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” (Psalms 37:4 NLT)

This is the “In Between” stage. It’s still a place of imperfection, but with the desire for change. A desire for the ignition of the Spirit of God inside of us. The “In Between” is filled with ups and downs, with some element being pulled back in forth. The change of heart is there, though. So, even though you are in the midst of a battle of spirit and self, the evidence of change and progress is shown in the shift of what is more important to you.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philipians 2:13 NLT)

3. “Crashing Into Peace.” (Clear Blue)

“Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.” (Psalms 31: 21–22 NLT)

At it’s final stage, a wave has gathered all the strength and direction it could before it crashes onto the shore. The water appears clear, almost cleansed, but there is some left over debris washed up on the sand. This is us. When we reach this point, we have spent so much time fighting against ourselves and against our own desires. We’ve been working on changing our ways, but we can often feel like the struggle is bigger than us. We have not yet fully surrendered our circumstances. We know this. So when the time comes for us to face it, we now have a mindset of shame. We feel unworthy. We don’t see the progress we have actually made, because the enemy has us focused on the smudges that are left behind. In this mindset, we run to the Father, expecting to be condemned. We are a violent wave, strengthened by the weight of our insecurities and our hurt from the times that we have “failed”. We call ourselves every name in the book, waiting for Jesus to agree with those names. Yet, he just embraces us with peace.

It’s a hard concept for us to grasp. We think ,“how could this be?” , when the real question should be “how could I forget?” How could we forget who He is? We have spent so much time away. So much time placing our human expectation and standard on Him, that we forget that He is so far outside of all of it. He is not a God of condemnation. He will not cut us off. He is a God of love. A God of salvation. A God of restoration. The best part is that he wants to save you. He is just waiting for you to come to him.

“And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” (2 Corinthians 1:10 NLT)

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalms 34: 18–19 NLT)

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate is from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all of creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38–39 NLT)

Thank you for reading my heart!

Please do not recieve this in way of my talking at you. I am in this place with you. I am still learning a lot of this concept. We are growing together!

I will never post anything that God isn’t first speaking to me about. :)

As per last time, here is some worship to go along with this blog:

Let’s grow ❤️

Love,

Sara