Article October 30, 2017 Issue

‘All-in’ prayer

Ellen Seusy

My first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean left me awestruck. I was a child, and my family had just moved to the Florida coast. The crashing waves and the immensity of the seascape were completely new and wondrous to me, as were the sharp calls of the seagulls and the intense odors of saltwater and seaweed.

It was too cold to swim that day, but soon enough we started going to the beach. I quickly realized that it was almost impossible to keep the sand off my towel and skin. If you tried to stay tidy at the beach, you’d constantly be brushing the sand off, and you would not have much fun. If, instead, you delved into the experience, allowing yourself to enjoy the saltwater and sand, you could really play, with nothing held back, and make the most of the outing.

The clearest answers to prayer appear when I set aside every plan and opinion, completely trusting God.