I watched the video of the man who builds elaborate sandcastles on Long
Island. He bent over his work, sculpting and refining only to have the tide
wash it away in a few hours.
Something about that story resonated with me.
 |
| A few vintage Varnado pics |
All of us want to leave a legacy, a mark that says, “Hey, I was here.”
Those of us who are believers want that mark to give glory to God above
everything else.
But if you’re like me, much of what you do doesn’t feel enduring.
Maybe it feels a lot like building sandcastles.
We work and labor and the first thing we know, it’s all melting in
water up to our knees.
Before I start a new writing project, I struggle with this. Am I just
building a sandcastle? It’s very likely not to be some piece of
great literature or change the course of history. Will anyone actually read it
or will it become only another file on my hard drive? The litany in my mind
goes on.
However, that man who builds the sandcastles, he’s not motivated to
make them because they’ll wind up in Architectural Digest or because he’ll make
a million dollars. He builds because he loves to create and use the gifts he
has.
That my friends, inspires me.
Dr. Brene’ Brown writes in the Gifts
of Imperfection, “If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook,
write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an
engine, sculpt, dance decorate, act, sing―it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re
creating, we’re cultivating meaning.”
Building sandcastles is cultivating meaning. In spiritual terms, it means being a good steward of the gifts God has given us, not with an eye on the outcome but with an eye on pleasing Him.
I recently started writing a new novel. I’m using the gifts I have, and
I already love the story, however it very well may be another sandcastle. I
have a good many of those. We never know when we’re doing something what the
results will be. That’s up to God. Our part is to build to His glory.
So, get out your sand buckets and shovels. Let’s get to work.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).
See the elaborate sandcastles HERE.
As an update on our friend T. in Asia that I wrote about HERE--She will be leaving her country in Asia on August 26th for a mandatory visa renewal and then trying to reenter the country on the 30th. Please pray she will not be turned back, but will be able to continue her life in Asia with her 16 children. I'll keep you posted. Again, if you know T. please do not mention her name in comments here or in Facebook replies.
As an update on our friend T. in Asia that I wrote about HERE--She will be leaving her country in Asia on August 26th for a mandatory visa renewal and then trying to reenter the country on the 30th. Please pray she will not be turned back, but will be able to continue her life in Asia with her 16 children. I'll keep you posted. Again, if you know T. please do not mention her name in comments here or in Facebook replies.