Beach Days
Holidays at the beach. Relaxing. Enjoying the beach and the water. What more could you want?
Lazing. Reading. Protected from the sun in one of those it-only-takes-two-seconds-to-erect-but-wait-till-you-try-to-pull-them-down beach tents.
 I’m walking toward the water when my brain begins talking.
“You’re one of those people who think everybody looks at you when you come into the room, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not. Well, not always,” I reply.
“Well, you think people are looking at you now.”
“Do not.”
“Do so.”
“Not!”
“So!”
“No.”
“Yes. Just look at you.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“You’re sucking your stomach in.”
“No, I’m not, I’m just walking tall. It’s the sun, the sea, the air. It all makes you walk tall.”
“That’s not the message up here at Control Central. I happen to know what’s happening.”
Got me.
“OK, so I want to look better than I actually do. Is there a crime here? If I had real issues, I’d be wearing a deep-sea diver’s suit to go into the water.”
“You could do the whole beach a service by wearing a deep-sea diver’s helmet.”
“Very funny.”
At that point the water goes from knee depth to chest high as a wave—an icy wave—rolls in. My body registers shock and cold. My brain stops talking.
Waiting for a body-surfing wave, I begin thinking about how often we try to impress others. Even people we don’t know. Why would they care?
Those who love us, who really love us, love us as we are. Love does that.
Think about God for a moment. Here’s love in its purest form. There’s no hint of “turn that stomach into a six-pack”; “tone those bicep muscles”; “work those ’pecs,’” before I’ll love you.
No way. He’s dying to give us all the love He has. Make that, He died to give us all the love He has. He’s serious.
Loved. As I am. Now! (Yeah, He’s helping me work on some issues in my life, but that doesn’t lessen His love.)
I catch a wave and head for the beach. I feel good as I walk through the shallows.
“Stomach?” The voice in the head is back.
“All right, already!” I relax. I’m loved as I am.
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Bruce Manners (left) is senior pastor of
the Avondale College church.