"War in the Sand"

Remember the beautiful Starfish in the Sand? Well, look at the second picture and you will see what it look liked the day after I took the picture.

I had admired the work of art for two or three days before it was destroyed.

The day I took the picture of the starfish, the creators of the masterpiece were on their hands and knees fixing holes that "little" hands and feet had destroyed the night before.

They were a sweet couple from Wisconsin, but they were leaving later that afternoon. I knew once they were gone and no longer able to protect their creation, it wouldn't be long before it was destroyed. (glad I got a good picture beforehand)

Seconds before I took this picture there was a little boy playing in what he thought was the most awesome sand pile ever! If you look at the bottom of the picture you can see his sand bucket.

The day before I had watched the creators of the starfish carefully reshaping their work and today I watched a little boy playing in the very same spot. I chuckled inside as I thought about

the conversation I had with the couple just the day before. From their perspective they wanted to give everyone on the beach something beautiful to look at. They were upset with parents who allowed their kids to destroy their work, but from the little boys perspective, someone had piled up a bunch of sand so he could have an awesome place to play.

Perspective. We all have one. We all have a view. A lens in which we see our world and those around us. Sometimes our perspective is shaped by past experiences. Sometimes it is shaped by inexperience. Personality, temperament and possibly even spiritual gifts may play a role in shaping our perspective. Unfortunately, many times our perspective can cause us to be at war with one another. (God's creation)

While the couple and the boy had different perspectives, they shared at least one thing in common. They all seemed to enjoy playing in the sand. And guess what? Regardless of what each of them chose to make, one thing didn't change. It was all still sand. Now, that they could agree on.

As I have thought about this "War in the Sand", I have asked myself a few questions? Do I trample on what my Heavenly Father has created? Do I wage war with others based on my perspective? Is my foundation in Christ secure enough that I am not so easily destroyed when someone doesn't see things exactly the way I do? Am I even willing to listen to another person's perspective? Am I so fixed on being "right", as I see it, that I cannot see clearly?

At the beginning of James chapter 4, we are asked two questions: "What causes wars and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

These two questions cause me to ask myself a few more questions. What is it that we have in common? Where is our hope? What foundation are we building on? Do we not know that when we hurt one another it hurts the heart of God? From His perspective we are destroying what HE CREATED.

Let's think about how we treat one another. Let's remember that we are HIS CREATION and our foundation is Christ, the solid ROCK. That is what we have in common. Let's start there.

If you read the rest of James chapter 4, we are given the solution to our

"War in the Sand",......submit to God.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:7&8

As we submit to God....our perspective will become more like HIS and less like ours. SELF is what keeps the lens in which we see through all sandy and destroyable. May we all seek to see clearly and build our hope on the foundation that cannot be destroyed.

Let's build our hope on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness, let's not put our trust in anything, but wholly lean on Jesus' name!

May we make this chorus our prayer. May we all see things through the lens of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"On Christ the solid Rock, we stand; all other ground is sinking sand.....all other ground is sinking sand."

Seeking to Stand,

Cheri