Don't Be A Crab

Praise God! The sand, surf, wildlife and seafood equaled an awesome, relaxing vacation for the Goodrow household. Visiting the Baltimore Aquarium’s unique and unusual (God has quite the sense of humor) marine animals and walking along the beach with the surf lapping at my feet made me feel so close to our Creator. Seeing and feeling His power truly overwhelmed me, but I was not frightened because He was and is in control.

As I was walking the beach one hot afternoon looking for shells, I came across many shellfish that had been entrees for the local seabirds. However, mixed up amongst a mass of seaweed was a whole crab, no larger that the palm of my hand. Thinking this would be a cool creature for the kids to explore I untangled and picked it up. However, I noticed that the crab wasn’t dead, just a little dried out and confused. So after a quick look-see by the family, I returned the crab to the ocean hoping that it would find its way back to safety.

Talk about a spiritual lesson. As I was untangling the crab from confines of the seaweed, I discovered that it wouldn’t let go of the seaweed. The crab was more content to have its claws and legs grasping onto the very trap that brought certain death. God took over from there. How often have I (we) clung onto something that I (we) know was not right for me (us), eventually bringing destruction. We know that God wants to reach down, pick us up, and return us to the safety He provides; but why is it so hard to let go? The unknown. The unknown of what God has planned for us can be scarier than the situation we have trapped ourselves in. But, as I learned from the past few months, I do know that God is in control of ALL circumstances in our lives, both good and bad. They all lead to the perfection of His will, even though we may not understand how.

Once I let the crab go in the ocean, I had to trust that it would go towards safety and prevent it from becoming entangled again in surroundings that would destroy it. So ask yourself, is there things I am entangled in that is leading me away from the protection and safety of God? How do I become untangled from the mess? Pray. Ask God for the wisdom and strength to “walk” away. Talk to your pastor (I hear he is a good guy.) or someone else you feel close to. As always, I am willing talk and share with anyone.

Remember, discover God’s love then live to give it away.
Garo Goodrow

The Ocean

It has been a while since I have posted on my blog, but I promise to do better. Since leaving for vacation on Friday, we have visited the Baltimore Aquarium and arrived at Chincoteague Island. With all the unique ocean creatures we seen at the aquarium and then seeing the awesome presence and power of the ocean, I can only say...Our God is AWESOME!

I am thankful that my wife was able to enjoy the ocean water, as it even made her feet feel the best they have in months! The kids just loved the incoming waves and getting soaked. The wild ponies are gorgeous!

Thank you God for this opportunity.
Garo