Barriers

I love to walk on the beach. It’s therapeutic for me. The sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, and the gentle rhythm of my steps all seem to calm my spirit. I usually find myself looking down as I walk, searching for sea glass or the perfect shell. There’s such joy in spotting those small treasures the ocean leaves behind.

Recently, while walking and searching, I was so focused on what was beneath me that I almost collided with a jetty. That massive line of rocks was built across the sand and stretched far into the surf. It stopped me short. I laughed at first, but then I thought how much that moment resembled life.

Sometimes we’re moving along happily, enjoying the treasures of our days, unaware that a barrier lies just ahead. We don’t always see trouble coming. It might be an illness, a loss, or a difficult season. One minute we’re delighting in simple joys, and the next we find ourselves staring at something that seems immovable.

But just like that wave break protects the shore from erosion, God sometimes places barriers in our path to protect us from being swept away. What looks like an interruption may actually be His hand of protection. Sometimes He uses those moments to change our direction, to remind us to pause, or to draw our eyes upward toward Him.

It’s good to live life in the moment—one step at a time—but it’s also good to look up for God’s direction. We make our plans, but He sees what’s ahead. And when we trust Him with both the treasures and the barriers, we find peace knowing our steps are safely guided by His hand.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)