April 19 | You Are Loved: How God's Love Washes Over Your Mistakes Like Ocean Waves
The Profound Lessons of Cape Cod's Shoreline
Standing at the edge of the ocean has a way of making you feel incredibly small. There's something humbling about watching those relentless waves rolling in, one after another, never stopping despite storms, seasons, or human interference. This natural phenomenon became one of my most profound spiritual teachers during childhood summers at Nobska Beach in Woods Hole, Cape Cod.
My grandfather Charlie, a brilliant marine biologist, would take me there each summer. As we sat on the sand watching the waves crash against the shore, he would point out tiny sea creatures and explain their intricate designs. "See that little hermit crab?" he'd say with wonder in his voice. "God designed him to know exactly when to find a bigger shell. He never stays stuck in a space that's too small for who he's becoming."
Those simple observations contained wisdom I'd carry through every stage of my life—through successes and failures, through joy and heartbreak, through moments of unshakable faith and desperate doubt.
The Powerful Metaphor: God's Love as Ocean Waves
Most of us picture God's love as something gentle and passive—like sunlight streaming through a window on a quiet morning. We imagine it as a soft presence, warm and comforting but ultimately static. But what if this understanding falls drastically short?
What if God's love is more like those Cape Cod waves? Powerful. Persistent. Sometimes overwhelming. Never stopping.
I remember one summer when I was about eleven years old. Despite my grandfather's warnings, I ventured too far into the water and got caught in a particularly strong undertow. In that terrifying moment when my feet left the sand, I realized the water was far stronger than I was. Panic took over as I struggled against the current. But then I felt my grandfather's hand on my arm, pulling me back to safety.
Later that day, he told me something I've never forgotten: "The ocean's power isn't meant to harm you," he said. "But you do need to respect it."
This simple observation has become a framework for how I understand God's love. It's not a passive force but an active, powerful presence that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Yet its purpose isn't to harm us—it's to cleanse, restore, and reshape.
The Reality of Human Mistakes and Divine Grace
We all make mistakes. I've made plenty that nobody sees. Failed relationships. Times I wasn't the father I should have been to my children, Carter and Alina. Moments when my pride got the better of me and I spoke words I later regretted.
And in those darkest moments—the times when I've been certain I've drifted too far from shore—I've discovered something profound about God's grace. It keeps coming. Wave after wave after wave.
In Romans 8, Paul writes something that has always challenged me: "Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God." When I was younger, I read that as a nice sentiment, a comforting thought to hold onto during difficult times. But standing at the edge of the Atlantic, watching those relentless waves, I understand it differently now.
God's love isn't just a warm feeling. It's a force. It keeps coming, keeps reaching, keeps washing over our mistakes and failures. Not to punish us, but to reshape the shoreline of our lives.
Learning from Children: Acceptance and New Beginnings
Now I bring my own children to this same beach. Carter is twelve now, Alina is ten, and watching them experience this place brings everything full circle. Last summer, Alina spent hours building an elaborate sand castle at Nobska. She decorated it with shells and feathers, built moats and bridges—it was truly a masterpiece of childhood creativity and determination.
Then, as evening approached, the tide started coming in. I watched her face as she realized what was happening. The first wave just dampened the outer walls. The second wave filled the moat. By the third wave, her beautiful creation was disappearing beneath the relentless rhythm of the ocean.
I waited for tears, for frustration, for the meltdown that seems reasonable when something you've worked so hard on gets washed away. But instead, she stood there watching with an expression of wonder. When the castle was completely gone, she turned to me and said something I wasn't expecting:
"It's okay, DadaMan. The ocean gets to take it back. We can build another one tomorrow."
The simplicity of her acceptance hit me like a revelation. How many times do I cling to things that need to be washed away? How often do I resist the very waves of grace that are coming to clear the shore for something new?
Personal Struggles and Continued Grace
Back pain has been part of my daily life for years now. Some mornings, it's all I can do to get out of bed. There was a time I was angry about that—felt like God had forgotten me, or was punishing me. But through that struggle, I've discovered something important: even physical pain can't separate me from God's love. Those waves keep coming, even on the days I can barely stand.
You know, in New England, we understand something about weathering storms. About endurance. About hope that outlasts the harshest winter. My grandfather used to say that's why God gave us the ocean—to remind us that some things never stop, no matter the season.
The Transformative Power of Relentless Love
Whatever you've broken in your life—whatever mistakes feel unredeemable—the waves are still coming for you. Not to drown you. Not to punish you. But to restore you.
My grandfather loved to quote an old hymn: "The tide of His mercy flows boundless and free." I didn't fully understand that until I became a father myself. The things my children could do that would make me stop loving them simply don't exist. And if I—flawed and limited as I am—can love like that, how much more does the Creator of these oceans love you?
Every morning at Nobska Beach, the waves have cleared away every footprint. Every sand castle. Every mark. That's what God's love does for us—not once, but every day. Wave after wave after wave.
Embracing the Ocean of God's Love
When you feel like you've drifted too far, remember my grandfather's words about the hermit crab. You're never stuck in a shell that's too small for who you're becoming. And God's love—like those relentless waves—will always find you, wherever you are.
You are loved beyond your mistakes. Beyond your failures. Beyond your understanding.
And like those waves at Nobska Beach, God's love will never stop coming for you. This isn't just a nice thought or a comforting metaphor—it's the reality that has transformed my life through every season, every struggle, every joy, and every heartbreak.
The next time you stand at the ocean's edge, watching those waves roll in with unceasing rhythm, remember: this is how God loves you. Powerfully. Persistently. Without end.
Your Cape Cod Connection: Finding God in Nature's Rhythms
If you've ever experienced the beaches of Cape Cod, you know there's something special about that place. For generations, families have gathered on those shores to witness the simple miracle of waves washing clean the mistakes of yesterday.
My grandfather Charlie understood this as both a scientist and a man of faith. He could see God's hand in the tiniest hermit crab and in the vast expanse of the Atlantic. His legacy lives on in how I experience God's love today—not as a distant concept, but as a tangible, powerful force as real as those Nobska Beach waves.
What part of nature speaks to you about God's character? Is it mountains that remind you of His strength? Stars that speak of His vastness? Or perhaps, like me, you find profound truth in the rhythm of ocean waves that never stop coming, no matter what.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
If today’s message spoke to you, join the FaithLabz 30-Day Prayer Challenge and strengthen your connection with God’s unshakable love. You are never alone—let’s grow together!
