By Katie Heid
Sinking sand can sometimes feel like solid ground.
As a kid who liked to dig in the mud on beaches,
I learned the right ratio of water, mud, and clay can make a convincing sand castle. There were days when those structures lasted an entire afternoon,
as I painstakingly created my own little world,
guarding it from encroaching beach-goers who threatened to upend my genius.
It worked for awhile. Then with the wake from the boats and a gust of wind, they inevitably washed away each time.
As a kid, I learned that sand castles have a life cycle, and if I wanted them to last, I would move them up closer to the playground where concrete offered the best foundation.
The frustrating and often scary times of the last three months revealed the shaky sand foundations I’d built for myself. It’s easy to proclaim a life built on God’s solid rock when blessings, consistency, and predictability actually run the show.
I’d built an alter that revolved around work accolades, my kids’ school schedule, yearly summer vacations, seasonal rhythms, extracurricular activities, date nights out with my husband, and the busyness that fuels so many of our days. I called it God and built my sinking foundation there, convinced I stood on the Solid Rock.
When the wind and storms came in the form of a global outbreak and government shutdowns, the sand started to erode. I searched for the strongest foothold around, and I discovered Jesus there despite my shoddy attempts to slap together a good and decent life.
Jesus is the One who walks on water towards you while the wave threatens to swallow you whole. He calls us to lay down our burdens at His feet and find rest for our souls. He promises water that will eternally quench our thirst, lays down on the ground with us in our sin, accepting our repentance and telling us to go and sin no more.
Building foundations on this world is so easy to do, but anchoring ourselves in God’s Truth is always worthwhile. Build strong, friends.
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