Blog

by Ami Samuels

Several years ago my family and I vacationed in Tulum, Mexico.  Every morning I would get up early and spend time walking in the waves along the beach, basking in the presence of God.  It was a pure and precious time with him.  He had my full attention, no one needed me, my phone was locked in my room, and I had no distractions.  It was just me walking with God on the beach.

One thing that occurred to me later was that I didn’t have a spiritual agenda.  What I mean by that is, I didn’t start out reading the Bible or in prayer like I normally would in my quiet time with God. I was open to what God would speak to my heart and then when I felt I had learned the lesson he was teaching me, I would go write it down.  Then I would reflect on the subject and spend time in prayer.  Over the next few weeks I am going to write about my journey with God in Tulum and share with you what God taught me in this amazing time with him.  Please join me as I share my “Lessons on the Beach” with you.

As I walked along the beach, a beach where we had only found coral and rocks, for two days we hadn’t seen a shell bigger than a nickel.  I prayed and believed that God would show me a shell - a sign that he is still there and that he still loves me, that the Father of the universe knows me by name, and that he does love and care about me, and I matter to him.

I believe that we all have times in our lives when God is quiet.  I had experienced one of those times in my life. I am not going to lie; it was difficult.

As I diligently looked down at my feet in the sand, I felt him whisper, “Look around, it isn’t going to be where you are looking.”  I had been standing looking at my feet in the waves for about ten minutes when I felt his whisper.  I had not moved or looked away from that spot for fear that I would miss my shell.

When I felt the whisper to look around, I glanced to my left and to my right and then I looked over my left shoulder up toward the shore.  I saw something partially buried in the sand about five feet from where I stood.  I walked over and began to brush and dig at the beach.  At first glance I thought it might be a rock but as I brushed away the sand I noticed scalloped edges.  My excitement grew as I uncovered a large, beautiful Conch shell.  I had huge tears in my eyes because this shell was much bigger than what I was expecting. I was looking for a small shell, one that would fit in my hand. When I saw this shell I knew this was God saying to me that I still matter, he still loves me, and he still holds me in the palm of his hand.

This is my shell.

  I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace.  I spent time praising him and thanking him for all that he is, for his beautiful creation and for the tangible reminder of his unfailing love for me.

Today, I want to reassure you that the Father of the universe loves you!  You matter to him and he knows you by name!  I know that life can be hard and we all go through difficult times.  Cling to Jesus and to the word of God for guidance in your storm.  My favorite Bible verse is, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Psalm 63:1-4:
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Look for my next blog post in the “Lessons on the Beach” series and please comment or add your input. I would love to hear from you! You are the reason I share what God is teaching me so please let me know your thoughts.

Tulum Beach in the morning

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