A few days ago, I stood looking out over the ocean.

I could have watched those waves crash against the rocks for hours, but eventually I had to turn and leave.

There’s something about the ocean that always draws me in.

Maybe you’ve felt it too, when you hear the crash and see the spray… and something deep inside you resonates with those waves.

Life is a lot like that. Waves of confusion, heartbreak, and injustice, crash in on you without stopping… and sometimes you feel like you’re drowning in the sorrow of it all.

At Peggy’s Cove, signs warned of the danger of going onto the slippery, black rocks. Although I understood the purpose and necessity of posting those signs, I wondered why anyone with common sense would venture so near to the edge. I was quite content to enjoy the view from where I could relax, up on a nice solid rock.

It was obvious to me that being in those waves, being dashed against the rocky shoreline, would not be a good situation. The waves would also have lost their beauty and become terrifying, had I been in them.

Now, as I reflect on that scene several days later, I’m noticing some strong parallels to real life.

As a teacher, I realize that object lessons are a great way to help students grasp new concepts. (I should put effort into using more object lessons!😉)

As a student with God as my Master Teacher, however, I find myself struggling to remember the lessons He teaaches me.

Today as I looked back at photos from my travels, I realized why that photo spoke to me so much. It’s a snapshot of an object lesson God is trying to teach me.

He wants me to stay standing on the Rock – Himself.

Those waves crashing in are going to drown me if I focus on them and not my footing.

If I wander out closer to the edge, trying to get a better view and figure out the cause of each threatening wave… they’ll pull me in and under.

But they take on a sort of wild beauty when I view them in security from the vantage point of a Solid Rock.

Each wave that crashes against the rocks breaks up without harming me at all, because I sit safely way up above them.

No wave, no matter how forceful, can threaten me if I’m anchored on God.