My favorite place to vacation as an adult has become the Jersey shore.

There is something so soothing about the sound of the waves crashing along the shoreline.

They are steady and dependable in their rhythm allowing you to gently fall asleep under the shade of your umbrella as you lay on the sand.

It is a completely different experience when you move from the sand in to the water. What seemed peaceful from afar, reveals itself to be turbulent.

Jumping in the waves and letting yourself be carried by them is fun at first. As time goes on, their steady dependable rhythm stops being soothing and transitions into being exhausting. Over time, the waves wear you down and drain the energy out of you until it is difficult to stand and keep your footing. That’s when you know it is time to retreat to the comfort of you beach blanket to relax and recoup.

Our experience with waves reminds me a lot of our lives, and in particular, our responsibilities. As teenagers we long to jump head first into them. We want to experience our first car, our first job, and our first real sense of responsibility.

From the shoreline of life, these things looked like great fun. As adults we begin to realize that the fun begins to wear away and these things we once longed for are now much more exhausting than we ever realized. We reach points where we are tired and it takes all of our strength just to stay standing. At times we even can begin to feel that drowning in inevitable and it’s just a matter of when it will happen.

The truth is our souls need rest from the battering waves of responsibility, stress, and anxiety of this world. We weren’t made to be able to bear them and withstand them on our own. Jesus has the power and authority to calm the wind and waves of any storm. His disciples found that out first hand.

But even when they are not quelled, Jesus is still calling out to us from the shoreline. Our ever-faithful lifeguard urgently shouting to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He instructs us to “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I have found in my life that His yoke often feels like a life preserver. The battering waves of life bear down on us all eventually wearing us out if we have nothing but our own strength to rely upon.

Don’t allow yourself to drown in them. If you feel weary and burdened today, cling to Christ with all of the strength that you have left and He will give you the most glorious rest for your soul imaginable. Find peace and rest in the loving arms of our Savior.