Lynae (sister), Deanna and Brad (brother) in Indiana


I was walking the beach on my recent trip to Florida. I suppose I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised that I was the youngest person on the beach!

I walked miles of shoreline and saw the same thing. People older than me, wearing swim suits. Many were, shall we say, people who I would have preferred not to see in such attire.

The same question kept nagging at me. "Where are these people from that 60 degrees is warm enough to wear so little?" Most of them were not walking the beach as I was... they were "laying out."

Honestly, I had not seen such sun worship since my college days. After a harsh midwestern winter, the sun would come out in April and warm things up for a day or two and campus wide, students would skip class to catch some rays.

I suppose at that age, I didn't mind it so much. Who am I kidding? Most guys looked forward to it!

I have never been a huge beach person. That would be my brother, Brad. I would prefer to be in the mountains... regardless of temperature! Few understand this. Most would prefer to be beach side.

I did see porpoises skimming the coastline, gulls and pelicans fishing to their fill, but oh those sun bathers. Some of those visuals have left a mark.

It was a great time to have my ipod with worship music cranked. I tried to focus on Jesus and the purpose of my visit. I had many reasons to give Him thanks and praise! The people I was meeting, renewal of old acquaintances, the presence of the Lord in our sessions, and honestly, the Lord's provision in general.

Somehow, spiritual metaphors are always more visible to me when I am out of my element. Walking out of my hotel room to view the marina, with the tide out, I watched a Great Blue Heron work the shoreline.

Slowly, he moved down past me, focused on his prey. Interesting, that laying beside him were many fish, free for the picking. They were already dead. He was not interested in them. He wanted the live ones.

Watching him select his food, my mind maneuvered to the similarities in how the enemy preys upon us.

When we are spiritually dead, he seemingly ignores our motives and decisions... they already reflect him.

When we are alive, he stalks us. Constantly seeking to disrupt our surrender. Desiring to put much energy between us and our Savior. His goal, to get us to turn from our Lord. He feasts upon our failures.

When there are no disruptions in our lives, it is cause for repose. We must ask ourselves why the attacks have ceased.

In truth, the enemy seems to care most about those he cannot have. How similar are we? We desire things we cannot have, and will put a great deal of energy in obtaining them.

We tend to invest little in that which is freely given, yet requires our focus and attention to deepen intimacy.

We want the tangible. So does the enemy. He believes in the allure of the world to cripple our relations with a Holy God.

Don't fall victim to his wily ways. Seek the Savior, and allow His desire for you to draw you into time spent, which will equip you to stand against the attacks of the enemy.

Thank goodness we have a Savior to help overshadow the memories and scars of life... even the ones from the beach...


dad