Reflections of God

Reflections of God’s Love

“Over and over, like a mighty sea, comes the love of Jesus flowing over me.” The words of this old hymn ran though my mind and burst from my mouth as I gazed at the beautiful, powerful Pacific Ocean. I was taking one last walk at sunset the evening before our departure. We were on a family vacation in Hawaii, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that had been filled with happy hours, beautiful sunsets, gorgeous views, lots of family time along with unforgettable memories.

Not long after arriving we experienced what we had anticipated—that a vacation in Hawaii centers around the water—at least when you love it like our family does and it’s surrounding you. As we played in the ocean, walked on the beach and gazed at the powerful waves and beautiful sunsets, I found many instances that reminded me of our Creator and His teachings.

While swimming and floating up and down on the rolling waves I contemplated how we need to learn to simply roll with the troubles in life, not fight them and trust Jesus and we come out ahead and on top. The daily ebb and flow of the tides reminded me of the high and low times in life. When the waves washed away our footprints and sand castles I thought of how Jesus washes away our sins. When an unexpected wave doused me during a beach-combing walk I reflected how important it is to be prepared for the trials of life. In my search for the “perfect” sea shell I was reminded that nobody is perfect, not me, not my husband, not my family. And I never found a perfect shell, just many pretty ones. In the many sunsets I understood the inevitable ending of experiences and life as we now know it. During the frequent rain showers that stopped as quickly as they started, I thought of being prepared for sorrow and washing in the cleansing showers of tears. The rain always brought with it rainbows and in their brilliant colors I was reminded of God’s promises to His children.

On the thought of leaving, I reflected on another point. We don’t have to be at the beach for the love of Jesus to wash over us, we can be anywhere. But we have to put ourselves in the presence of Jesus, where His love can wash over us. How? By daily spending time with God in His word, getting to know Him and learning to trust Him.

God, please show me how feel your love continuously flowing over me!