We were blessed to visit the beach for only one day. It was late in the summer and the water was super warm – so warm that it did not feel refreshing. The water reminded me of drinking the lukewarm tea that I did not enjoy at the hotel that morning. Tea should be hot and ocean water should feel crisp. But, as we dunked our bodies, we were thankful to drift into a patch of cool water. What a relief! But then we were back to bobbing in the not so invigorating abyss.
I went out deeper, unusual for me, because I am afraid of creatures lurking below. I was searching for cooler water that I couldn’t find. I could still keep my head above and touch the sandy floor. I jumped over the weak Gulf of Mexico waves as they passed by.
I noticed how my body could not stay still. The motion of the waves kept tossing me and moving me around.
I thought, “What does this show me about God, the Creator of magnificent oceans?” The answer came to me quickly, “He is always working.”
Sometimes though, it feels like He is not working. At times, it feels like He is doing nothing-neither hot nor cold, like tepid bath water. My prayers, the things I ask for, the things I deeply need and long for, never happen. I keep on going with another day and another year and there are no results. I often sigh and tell myself, nothing will change until Jesus comes back again. Everything won’t be fixed until I die and enter heaven.
I remember the story of Jesus when he responded to the people who criticized him for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus told them that “his father is always working” (John 5:17). He knew that his father was taking care of all the things that He needed to. Jesus did not doubt his father like I do.
He is working here- on earth and in our lives. The ocean waves, the tide flowing in and out, it tosses me around to prove it.
His Spirit is a powerful force, working on people, pushing them forward and back. He won’t let us stand still.
If you want to escape His Spirit, you can go where the water is shallow. You can step into the water, ankle deep and stand firm. You could even get out of the ocean and sit on a chair where the ocean won’t be able to touch you.
But God is still working. As the shallow water laps around your ankles, the sand still sinks beneath your feet. And as you sit in the chair, the wind continues to blow. The sun still goes down. The moon still comes up. And, the earth looks like it’s standing still, but we are actually spinning in outer space. God is still working.