As, I stood on a beach in Mexico recently with my daughter, the waves caught my attention. Over the past few weeks, I wrestled with some things in my mind that mostly involved expectations I had placed on myself.

These expectations kept me awake at night and anxious during the day.

I sat down in the warm ocean water leaned back on the sandy shoreline and allowed the waves to crash over me. I watched the waves rise, gain momentum and then fall. The strength of the waves kept building and some were four to five feet high.

I plugged my nose, held my breath and braced myself as the next wave rolled over me, pushing me further back onto the shore. The sand massaged my body as I sank deeper and deeper into it’s wet but warm embrace.

It was so comforting!

In those moments, I released the expectations I had placed on myself. I let go of them as the waves rolled over me.  I had placed expectations on myself of things I should do and who I should be. I was trying to make plans and control my future and only found myself wrestling with God.

In these moments, I surrendered my hopes and dreams as the waves swept over me. I felt grounded and secure as my body gently lodged itself in the sand again and again.  And, as I looked up and over these waves of surrender, I saw an open, clear and bright horizon.

The possibilities were endless and me trying to figure everything out was frustrating and pointless.

I abandoned myself to God’s plans that day, whatever they were. I was sure they would continue to present themselves as clearly and powerfully as the waves that rolled over me that warm day.

I am to stay grounded in His word, rest and allow the waves of His Presence to refresh me and carry me further, little by little, day by day, into His purposes.

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” (Psalm 42:7 NIV)