protection

Today I walked alone along this pier in Petoskey, Michigan:

The sun was shining, the air crisp and refreshing, the wind strong.

The wind blew hard from the south, creating rough, choppy waves to my left as I walked. To the right of the pier, however, the water was uncharacteristically smooth and flat:

The contrast made me think of Christ and the vast difference between those who are in Him and those who are not.

When the winds get strong, those who are trying to navigate the sea of life on their own will be tossed about in the rough, choppy waves. For those whose faith rests in the shadow of the Rock, however, the water will be still and calm, protected even in the strongest of winds.

Christ is the dividing pier, unchanging in the fiercest of storms, able to shelter and provide calm.