It's no secret to the people who are close to me, I love the beach. If given the choice between a Tommy Bahama chair, a good book, some yacht rock, sandy toes, and crashing waves versus anything else...anything else loses. There's just something about the connection and peace that comes from my wife, Susan, and me taking a walk on the beach or sitting with family and friends, soaking up some sunshine, salty air, and memories. Anxieties, problems, and hurts seem to just slowly wash away.
In many ways, it's a portrait of grace. Think about all of the sand castles, footprints, debris, and things people write in the sand as they commune on the beach. Once the waves hit and the water crawls up the shore, it slowly washes away what was there and fills the space with new sand. What was past is gone, and a fresh canvas emerges. Sure, storms will hit, wind will blow, and there are seasons when it feels so cold and violent, you don't want to be anywhere near the ocean. But when it subsides, and it always does, there's a peaceful calm, a renewed beach, and the healing of the Son shining upon you.
"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)
I read recently that we should learn to write our hurts in the sand and to carve our blessings in stone. What a profound and powerful mindset. Carrying around all of those hurts, whether from unfortunate circumstances, other people, or personal failures, can be pretty consuming. In fact, they steal the space for fresh blessings. You don't go on a healthy diet by simply adding good food, you have to remove the bad food first to make room for the good stuff.
Write your hurts in the sand and carve your blessings in stone.
Let the grace of God wash away what's written in the sand and let the Son's warmth renew your spirit and carve some new blessings.
