The gentle sound of lapping waves soothed my being as I combed the beach on Prince Edward Island. Greeting my eyes were hundreds of shells, glittering sand and minerals, and seaweed in all shapes and colours {one kind was white as snow, and looked just like wet tissues laying on the beach}.

While pondering the transitional life of shelled creatures, I stumbled {literally} upon a wet branch of a slimy seaweed plant. The tide had washed it up, and now it lay drying in the sun. But something was different about this seaweed, and as soon as I picked it up, I knew. It felt incredibly heavy…

Why, it was attached to a rock. No big deal, I thought, I’ll just break it off and then examine the seaweed.

Not so fast, Miss Beach Comber!

I pulled, I twisted, I yanked. I put my foot on the rock and pulled again. Nothing.

Handing it to one of my friends who was with our family on the beach, I asked him to try and break the connection. He yanked with the strength of a man and slammed it against another rock. Nothing.

I got it back, and holding the seaweed by the leaves, I banged it again with all my might to try to sever the attachment. I even tried to ‘saw’ it off with another sharp rock. Once again, nothing.

I gave up. And I marveled. This weed had literally become part of the rock and could not be severed. 

In fact, as I hammered and swung this rock-plant with all of my might, something happened that surprised me even more. The rock broke. The plant was attached THAT strongly. The rock broke first. I was awed.

As I studied the place of attachment, I was perplexed with how a plant could be so entrenched into a rock, since rocks are not soil or soft or even a very naturally inviting place for a plant. Somehow it had become one with the rock.

Just like my soul. Just like the miracle of salvation, of the life-relationship after salvation.

We are infused, integrated, grafted…never to go back living apart from Christ.  “Fastened to the Rock which cannot move; grounded firm and safe in the Saviour’s love.” In order for us to be separated from the Rock, He would have to fail, to break. And that’s impossible!

Have you let that thought sink in lately?

Just as the ocean to the seaweed, the world tosses and throws and bangs and hammers and cuts and beats upon the believer. But none can break that wonderful, God-created bond. The tide of life ebbs and flows…and sometimes we are carried out to sea. The great waves crash and the storm breakers reel high, threatening to drown us.

But it’s impossible for a Rock to drown.

And so we go on and we go on, still anchored.

I ponder my Rock, and then hear the soft whisper through the sea, “What of your heart place?”

True enough, some days find me so secure in my Rock holding on to me, that I neglect to hold fast to Him. To cling to His very Being with all of my inner strength. To be fiercely in love with and dedicated to my Grace Giver. To not push away the Holy Spirit breathings of revival, of change. To give up what He asks of me with unquestioning abandon.

Recently, my husband and I read a very soul-shaking post that moved us to tears.

And I knew my heart place. I even felt it widening, opening to hold more, to be more.  The truth? Our souls have been stirring for several months now. My husband calls it a ‘holy discontent.’ {Don’t you like the sound of that?}

Oh, the inexpressible comfort in the knowledge that, fastened to my Rock, I can go anywhere, do anything that He asks. My heart place is begging Him to call, asking Him to ask, yearning to shake off any thing that contributes to a no-point, non sacrificial, comfortable-where-I-am lifestyle.

The Tempter whispers in disgust, “You don’t want that! You don’t know what you’re asking for!“

Oh, yes. Yes I do. I’ve stood in this heart place before. I know it means sacrifice, suffering, change. Blessings beyond my wildest imagination.

It’s so worth it.

So shake me to my core, world.

                       I’m anchored to my Rock.                              

                                                                                  

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