Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will cause you to rest. (Matthew 11:28 AMP)

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30 NKJV)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Psalm 32 AMP)

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Because the summertime is swiftly approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about the many days I will spend at the beach enjoying the long-awaited warm weather. As I googled some tropical destinations I would like to visit, I started thinking about the beach trips I took when I was younger. I used to be fascinated by the array of the beautiful sandcastles that were scattered all over the beach. I wasn’t much of an architect myself, but I remember sitting and marveling over the creativity and the detail some of these structures had. But as the day went on, at some point, a huge wave would come and suddenly those beautiful, intricate structures were leveled into a puddle of sandy mud in a matter of seconds. It didn’t matter how far from the shore those structures were built, eventually the tide would rise high enough to reach every last one. That part always made me sad because I knew how much time went into their creation and now there was nothing to show for it. The more I think about it, the more I realize why those structures were so vulnerable. A sandcastle needs water in order to be created, so they had to be built close enough to the water in order to get the right texture of sand, but far enough away that the water couldn’t get to them as they are being constructed. Dry sand doesn’t make for a solid structure, but when you add water to it, the sand becomes sticky and can be molded into almost anything. So you see, the sandcastles were vulnerable because they were made up of the very thing that would end up destroying them.

Sometimes, I feel that way about some of the decisions I have made in my life. I don’t mean to sound like a Debbie Downer or Negative Nancy, but there are times when I wish I could go back in time and re-take certain quizzes I failed in life. Many of those decisions spawned from my desire to fill a void that wouldn’t go away. In all fairness, my decisions weren’t always made with bad intentions. I just simply did not know there was another way to handle things. All I really understood was my perception of the situation, my feelings, and my own knowledge of how everyone else handled similar situations. I didn’t know much about God’s nature or His word, and I didn’t have the relationship I now have with Him, so I largely relied on my own ability to answer tough questions. And that’s what led me to build my sandcastles. Those vulnerable structures formed a false sense of control and calm in my life for a while. Those sandcastles housed my fear of rejection and disapproval from others, my low-self esteem, and my feeling of inadequacy. I lavishly decorated my sandcastles with a formidable exterior of arrogance, unforgiveness, anger, lust, pride, and material possessions I couldn’t afford…the list goes on. All of those adornments were the very things that nearly led to my destruction. But God…

I learned that relying on my own abilities cost me relationships, and I am sure many opportunities for growth and prosperity. I’ve had many near-misses in life where God has had to intervene and save me from my own destruction, and it is because of Him that I am here today writing this blog. I praise God because He didn’t allow the waves to wipe me out just like the sandcastles on the beach. Instead, he corrected and restored me little by little with every sandcastle He destroyed. My desire is to encourage someone who may be hurting, confused, lonely or disappointed that God is the only source of comfort and understanding. There is a bright future ahead of you, but it is found only through Christ. If you allow Him, He will instruct you on how to handle whatever you are facing. If you cast your concerns on Him, you will soon discover the love and grace He has just for you. You are never alone when you fully open yourself up to the will of God. Whatever means you are using today to distract you from your pain, let me assure you that the root of your problem will still be in tact even after your last sandcastle has been destroyed. The only thing left after that is you and God. He is waiting for us to get to a point where we are willing to surrender our superficial structures in exchange for His peace, love, and grace.

Surrender by spending more quality time with the Lord each day. Go to bible study or read a devotional book. Spend time with fellow Christians. Start tithing. Stop wasting your time with people and things that draw you further away from Christ. Go to church regularly or join a ministry. Help someone in need. There are so many things we can do that are in the will of God that can satisfy us more than anything else in this world. It’s all about the effort we put into chasing after God. Let Him heal your wounds and fill your voids with things that can never be stolen or destroyed.