Sand Castles
My brother made this sand castle last Shabbat (Saturday). It was beautifully made (the fortresses from a cup mold), and it even had a moat!
I sat on a chair with my notebook in my lap, watching him quietly.
At once I thought of Matthew 7:24-27, where Yeshua (Jesus) told of the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock and of the foolish man who built on the sand. Do I want to be strong on the rock or washed away on sand? I wondered silently.
Washed away. A picture of a ship popped into my head. Large, carrying cargo worth millions of dollars.
I imagined the scene on the deck. So many sailors, moving around so quickly.
Then I saw the waves sweep up. The skies darkened and lightning flashed; thunder roared in the distance. The sailors moved around as fast as they could, most of them going down into the hold for safety. The captain spoke, and someone dropped an anchor.
The anchor! One of the most important things on a ship, I thought. The anchor, like the foundations of a house, had to be strong or the ship would be doomed.
Then in the distance I saw a flash of light. Lightning again. Or not? No, it was not. A few straight beams of light, a warning about the rocky shores—the lighthouse.
I had never personally been inside a lighthouse, but I knew it was very important. Without the light dozens of ships would have met their fate sailing the seas. Sailing the seas…lighthouse…ships…it seemed to have a connection.
Oh, yes! We are the ships, the anchor is the word of G-d. Our captain is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and guides us in every way, and the lighthouse is Yeshua our Messiah. If we look to Him we will always be safe.
Special thanks to my brother for the use of his sand castle | October 31, 2016 (photo October 29, 2016)