6th May 2025
On a recent holiday, I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching some children playing in the sand.
They were hard at work building an elaborate sandcastle by the water’s edge, with gates, towers and moats and internal passages.
Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand.
I expected the children to burst into tears, or at least be dissappointed, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work of the morning.
But they surprised me, they just ran up the shore away from the water, laughing and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle.
To many of us adults, it seems like a waste of time building sand castles on the beach, as sooner or later, that sandcastle is sure to be washed away by high tide or trampled upon by unassuming adults and curious children strolling up the beach.
Sandcastle building is in sharp contrast to our results oriented culture that prizes accomplishment over all else.
I’ve come to realize that the kids love of sandcastle construction is all about enjoying the process and the experience, not the end result.
The children had taught me another important lesson.
All the things in our lives, all the complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand – Only our relationships to other people endure.
Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the person who has somebody’s hand to hold will be able to laugh and start making the sandcastle again.
Enjoy the journey, have a hand to hold & stay blessed forever.