You’re Not A Half

I was reading through some old journal entries this morning. I’m a nostalgic little soul. I ran across an entry that brought joy to my heart, and I wanted to pass this on in hopes that it would encourage you as well.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I walked the beach early one morning to clear my head. There is something about the salt in the air and the rolling waves that soothes my soul. Always. I love being near water.

A wave crashed over my feet, bringing with it little treasures from the depths. As the water receded I spotted a white flat disk sticking out of the surf.  A sand dollar. I bent to retrieve it. I expected to have to tug slightly to unearth it, but it fell over with a touch of my finger.  A half, standing on its side, not a whole. If it would have been intact, it would have been as large as my palm.

I held it in front of my face, and said to myself, “This is me. Beautiful, but incomplete,”  for that truly fit my frame of mind when I went walking that morning. I’d experienced a loss of sorts that had left me feeling fractured, unsure, and lonely. A void that could not resolved by physical proximity.

At that moment, I got a little nudge in my spirit. It was as if Jesus playfully poked me in the side. He said to my heart, “Put that thing down. You are never half of anything when you are with me.” ❤

With me. My heart fluttered. I grinned through joyful tears. Jesus had communicated in the exact manner my best friend would’ve spoken had they been by my side. In that instant, Jesus became everything I lacked. In Him, I was and always would be, whole.

I walked on, basking in my wholeness, splashing in the waves, not caring how silly I looked, getting my pant legs soaked.

No matter where you are, what you face, or how fractured your life has become, you are never half of anything when you walk with Christ. He will fill you, sustain you, and reach out to you in the exact way you need. Put down your broken frame of thought and walk forward with Him.