PAUSE is a reflection written by First Baptist ministers—an invitation to have a Present, Attuned, Unhurried, Spirit-led Experience. Today, Steve Blanchard, our Minister of Christian Compassion, invites us to slow down, look a little closer, and discover what God can reveal in the beauty—and brokenness—around us.
The beach has always brought me a sense of peace that no other place seems to do in quite the same way. And not only peace, but wisdom and insight as well.
When I walk along the beach and see seashell fragments lying in the sand, I am reminded of myself—and humanity as a whole. The fragments, no matter their size or shape, were once part of something bigger and complete. And despite being broken, they still retain their unique and distinct beauty.
The water itself, though it may appear calm on the surface, is host to a world of motion and activity underneath. It cannot be judged simply by what we see.
Finally, I am pointed toward Isaiah 43:16, which declares God’s power to make a way through impossible circumstances, recalling his miraculous deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea.