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Coming Back to Shore by Serena Butler I recently returned from a family vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My mom and dad rented a house on the beach for week and I joined them, along with my sister and her family. We had a great time hanging out on the beach, visiting sights, and spending time together. I spent a lot of time walking on the beach or sitting on the deck listening to the sound of the waves rolling onto the shore just beyond the sand dunes. On the last day of our visit, I decided to go for a swim in the ocean. I grabbed a boogie board to hold onto as I kicked my way out into the surf. A fishing pier was located nearby and I set a goal to swim out until I reached a distance equal to the end of the pier. It took some effort, but I finally worked my way beyond the breaking waves near the shore and into the calmer, rolling waves. I was proud of the fact that I had successfully hung onto the boogie board as I dove through several waves and had only swallowed a small amount of salt water. Now that I was in the calmer waters I could concentrate fully on my goal. I think the tide must have been coming in because I felt as though I were swimming uphill the entire time. I would see a swell coming towards me. I would kick faster, reach the peak and then ride down the opposite side. I later learned from my mom, who was watching me intently from the balcony of the rental house, that I would disappear from sight as I rode the backside of the wave and began to climb the next. From time to time, I glanced over to the pier to see if I was getting close to being parallel with the end of the pier. My progress was slow, but I kept kicking and riding waves. When I finally reached my goal, I turned to face the shore. I thought that I would relax, hang onto the board, and just float around for a little while. But, when I looked back at the shore, I noticed that I had been carried by the current down the beach. I hadn't noticed how far I had drifted because my focus had been on the pier, not the beach. As I began to swim back to the shoreline, I tried to paddle against the current, parallel to the beach, so that I could come ashore in the same spot from which I had entered the ocean. I soon realized that this would not be possible. No matter how hard I kicked, I was fighting against the current that carried me farther down the beach. I decided to quit fighting the current, turned to face the shore, and began to swim back towards the beach. I knew that once I reached shore I would have to walk back up the beach to my beginning point. But I knew if I stayed in the ocean, I would only find myself farther and farther away from my family, towel, and other belongings. Approaching the shore I had trouble finding my footing in the shifting sand. When I tried to stand up, the tide would begin to carry me back out to sea. I had not realized how tired I had become from the swim. As I reached the beach I was greeted by a lifeguard who asked if I was okay. I told her I was fine and then she informed me that she had been watching me as I came back to the shore. Some people on the beach had been watching me drift along and were concerned for my safety. My mom had also been keeping a close eye on me and was worried that I had gone out so far into the ocean. After a short conversation with the lifeguard, I picked up my boogie board and walked back up the beach to join my sister and her family. I was feeling a little embarrassed as I realized that I had become the object of so much attention and concern. I decided that I had had enough swimming in the ocean for one day. The next morning, I felt the effects of overworked muscles. As I think back over this experience, I am reminded of times in my life when I have drifted away from the Lord. All of us have those times when we are drawn to venture out into the waves and leave the stability of the Savior. We are walking with the Lord and then we decide to dive into the world and try a new adventure. We begin to focus our lives on something other than Christ and as a result we find ourselves drifting away without even realizing it. We think we can take a detour from our Christian walk and then return when we are ready without much effort. At some point, though, we glance back and see just how far we have drifted. We fight to get back to our starting point, but the current of the world continues to carry us farther and farther away. Our friends and family can see how far we have drifted and become concerned for our safety. They are praying for us and waiting for us to notice, so that we can turn around and come back to the stable ground of our faith. Spiritual lifeguards are standing by to jump in and rescue us if we wait too long or signal for help. It wasn't until I was standing on the deck of the house that evening, looking out at the ocean and the pier, that I realized just how far into the ocean I had ventured. My mom had said, “You had no idea how far you were from the beach or all the other swimmers. You were really out there.” When I was in the ocean, my perspective was distorted. My view was blocked by the swelling waves and my focus was on the pier. In the same way, sometimes we don't realize how far we strayed from Christ until we are back with Him and can see things from the spiritual perspective. During these times in our lives, the best thing for us to do is to just come back to the shore. Wherever we land, once we humbly return to our waiting Savior, it is easier to return to the place we once enjoyed. It might take a while to get back to the place from which we departed, but it is easier to walk up the beach than to stay in the world and fight against the current. If we try to make it on our own, and stay out in the waves too long, we will never make it. If you have drifted away from Christ and find yourself fighting against the tides of this world, come back to the shore. Solid ground is where you need to be. Christ, Himself will greet you when you reach the beach. He will reach down, take you by the hand, help you get your footing and walk you back home. He is even willing to dive in and help you back to shore. You might be exhausted and embarrassed, but you will feel so much better when you are reunited with the family.