Danger Bay

A few years ago my husband and I took a meandering road trip down to Melbourne. Along the way we decided to stop for a picnic lunch. We turned off the main road and travelled down a winding dirt track. According to the maps we were headed towards Danger Bay. It was the name that enticed me. It promised adventure. The ever-present child in me thought up images of pirates and stormy seas.

What we discovered was even better. We found a secluded beach that was perfect in every way. It had the white sands and the jewel-like ocean sparkling in the sun. It had dappled shade for a picnic and sandstone walls to shelter us from the wind. No one else was around and I delighted in making fresh footprints in the soft sand.

What captured me the most about the place was the peacefulness. It didn’t fit the name. Where was the danger? Then I realised a strong wind was blowing out on the sea. Jagged rocks lay hidden under the waters. Ships could easily get wrecked on this shore.

This world we live in is very much like Danger Bay. We aren’t always able to recognise the danger that waits for us. We might think we are safe. We might think that we are in a good place, especially if things are going well for us. But the truth is, God is our only safe haven. He offers us peace and protection that we can rely on. All we have to do is trust him and then we will enjoy a place within ourselves that is as perfect as that beach.