Why Build Sand Castles?

Last week while visiting my parents, we headed out to the beach--to the Padre Island National Seashore to be exact.  Of course, my eldest daughter asks, "Dad, will you help me build a sand castle?"

She's only six, so I knew who would actually be doing most of the building, but I didn't mind that.  "Of course, I will," I replied.

Shovel and buckets in hand, I began with my daughter joining in when she felt like it.

As I dug and sculpted and shaped, I began to think.  "Why?  Why do we build sand castles?"

Those of us who have jumped into this process know that in a matter of mere hours, our creations will be reduced to nothing by wind and wave and tide.  There will be absolutely nothing to show for the toils of labor we put into them.

In fact, if we are totally and completely rational about building sand castles, we would realize they are almost a complete waste of time and energy.  All that toil comes to nothing in the long run.

Kind of like life in some ways.  Toil, work, and slave.  Build bank account.  Accumulate possessions.  Work to garner status and position.  And what becomes of it in the long run?  What happens after years of toil and sweat and tears and blood?  What becomes of us? 

We die.  Our possessions become the possessions of someone else.  We turn to dust.  Our work in a few decades is forgotten by most. 

If we are completely rational about our lives, we see they are almost worthless.  Kind of like building a sand castle.

But, I still kept building.  I still kept "wasting" my time to put together a masterpiece of sand and water.  I piled the sand, filled buckets and dumped them to make turrets, and sculpted walls and gates.  Something within me drove me to create, to build, to leave a mark no matter how short lived.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.  My daughter asked me to help her build a sand castle.  I love her.  I'd do almost anything to see her smile. 

It is so worth it.

And I have come to understand the toil and labor I do in my own life isn't for my benefit.  I have come to see that I toil and labor for my Heavenly Father. 

I have come to understand these words written in the book of Colossians:

²⁴I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. ²⁵I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. ²⁷To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

And in my toil, I hope I make my Heavenly Father smile.  Even in my weakness, in my frailties and failings, in my inability to live up to the life He truly calls me, I know He loves me.  And I work for Him.  Though everything I do may one day end up forgotten or washed or blown away, I still press on.

It's worth it.