At The Water’s Edge

I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.

As the fourth anniversary of my husband’s death approached, I rented canoes for an overnight family trip to honor his love for the outdoors and connect as we remembered his death.

In a perfect summer season, my idea would have worked beautifully, but this particular summer brought heavy rains that caused the river to rise to dangerous levels. A few days before we were ready to set off, I received an email from the rental company. “High river warning,” the subject line read. My heart sank. I knew we’d need to reschedule. Water is powerful; sometimes there’s just no way to beat it.

As the Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea, their hearts must have sunk too. God had miraculously orchestrated their escape from Pharaoh’s enslavement, and they were free. But also not free. Hemmed between Pharaoh’s approaching armies and water they could not cross, they sensed fear, disillusionment, panic, and frustration well up within them like a summer river rising. How could God lead them this far only to abandon them at the water’s edge? Drowning or death at the hands of the Egyptians appeared to be the only two options.

The death of a loved one can often lead us toward this kind of binary thinking. Loss floods us with emotion and changes the landscape of our lives, and we feel stuck, just like the Israelites. As we look at the Red Sea of grief before us, we’re pretty sure we can’t go on, but we know we can’t go home, either. The past is closed forever to us, and our futures look bleak. We see no way out.

In this place of grief and desperation, God comes to us just as he did to the Israelites that day by the Red Sea. God responds to their and our frustration and fear with amazing kindness. When the Israelites can only see death on every side, God makes a way to life again. God parts the waters for Israel’s rescue, and he’ll do the same for you.

Where are the floodwaters rising in your life today? Where do riptides of grief or undertows of anger threaten to sweep you off your feet? Where do you need rescue today? God stands waiting with a mighty arm to save you. He is ready to remind you that more than death, suffering, and trials surround you. Today, don’t believe the lie that loss is all there is left for you. God will make a way through your own Red Sea and bring you to shores of rest.

Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.

Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful.

A Prayer: Almighty God, the waters of grief rise around me. The power of death’s current threatens to sweep me away. I am engulfed by sorrow, and I don’t see a way out. Save me from drowning in despair, and set me on firm ground again. I trust that you will open up a way for me just as you did for Israel by the Red Sea. You preserve those you love, and I believe that you will take care of me. Amen.

An Activity for Today: Everybody needs a hug sometimes. In fact, researchers have found that even a self-hug can reduce cortisol, the hormone produced by our brains in distress.^a Today, determine that you will give yourself at least three hugs during the day. To give yourself a hug that really affects your neurobiology, cross your arms across your chest and place your palms on your upper arms. Take a deep breath in, raise your shoulders, and gently squeeze and hold, just like you were hugging a friend. If it feels good, gently rub your palms on your upper arms as you hug yourself. As you self-hug, envision the arms of God enfolding you. You are held by a good, strong God who has engraved your name on the palms of his hands.

A Song to Encourage Your Heart: “Red Sea Road” by Ellie Holcomb