The Perfect Beach Trip

He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.As you do not know what is the way of the wind,Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. — Ecclesiastes 11:4-5

How many times have you had the “perfect” beach trip? (Hmmm… really, is there any other kind?) Well, there was that time it rained. Or the time you tried a new beach house and got lost for two hours trying to find it. Or the time your toddler got an ear infection the first full day you were there. Or the toilet in your rental didn’t work right. Or…

Okay, okay. So maybe at the point-by-point level, you’ve never had a perfect beach trip. So how did you deal with the bumps in the road? Did you manage to make the most of the situation, or did you let it ruin your trip?

There are those times we just want — even demand — perfection in order to execute our plans. Planning a wedding. Planning to exercise. Planning a quiet time. The conditions have to be perfect for us to act, or we give up because it’s utterly ruined. Planning, planning, waiting, waiting… the moment has to be exactly right.

And, to be fair, planning and preparation are important. But if we spend our time waiting for perfect conditions, we’re actually wasting our time. The perfection is simply not gonna happen.

Sometimes we have to simply act and trust God for the next step.

If we make a wrong turn because we misunderstood the Holy Spirit, then we trust that the Father will correct our steps. If we make a wrong decision because we ignored Him, we confess our neglect and trust Him for the next step. And there are times He will wait until we act — because growing our trust is far more important than our knowing the end result. We belong to God: our relationship with Him is assured through the blood of Jesus Christ. So if you look ridiculous, are made fun of, or appear to have failed at something that you’ve prayerfully considered — do not fear. Trust God with His timing.

Our time here on Earth is finite. And none of its days is perfect. There are only so many days we’ll spend here — waiting on the perfect one sure seems like a futile way to spend them.

Lord, remind me that if I’m waiting for a perfect moment, that waiting may be rooted in fear. As Your child and Your creation, I will never be a failure, regardless of what the world sees and thinks. Sometimes my own plans will fail, but in a way only known to You, they are still successful — because You remain sovereign. Let this truth give me wings and a willingness to take risks, take chances, and never fear failure. I am grateful and thankful to You always, in all situations. What a great gift it is to take refuge in You!

Excerpted with permission from Devotions from the Beach, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

Are you waiting for your circumstances to be “perfect” before you act? How long are you going to wait and plan? If the Lord isn’t asking you to wait, perhaps you need to step out in faith and trust Him! ~ Devotionals Daily