by Lisa Brittain

In December for ten peaceful days, I walked the Gulf Coast beach of Florida several times a day, enjoying the salt air and the winter sun on my skin. I looked always for shells in the sand and dolphins in the water, birds in the air and angel clouds in the blue sky above.

I guess I have always been a dreamer deep down in the heart of me, and the beach is the place I can put away the regulations of the grown up world. I fall backward into deep imaginings, twirling, singing and truly unwinding in the presence of my Creator!

One day as I set out on a stroll through the white sand, I spied a large shell lying in plain view at the edge of the ocean water. It was full, unbroken and beautiful to behold. My first thought was, "I want it!" I had been looking for a whole shell to take home with me, and this was it! Or was it?

The shell was occupied. I tried to rationalize. The shell was lying right there at my feet, whole and beautiful and out of the water! It was there for me. But in my heart, I knew the right thing to do was to throw it back into the ocean. Something was living inside this shell. It needed to live and thrive where it belonged.

But, I didn't throw it into the ocean. I carefully placed it in the water where it would be safe, thinking if I walked back by and it was lying on the sand again, I could take it home.

I didn't find it on my way back down the shore. The shell had returned to the ocean, and in my heart I had a peace---I had surrendered my want and made the better choice for life!

The next morning I set out on the same path as the day before. Right about the same spot in the sand sat "the shell". Ok, maybe it wasn't the same shell, but it looked exactly the same as the one before...with one exception. This one was empty and lying open on the sand. It was no longer the home of a living creature. And it was mine!

Oh Lord, thank You for Your tender gifts of love. Thank You for the sweet rewards You offer when we choose to obey You...when we choose to surrender our wants to stand firm in truth!

Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,