Having been born in Brazil I had the opportunity to grow up spending many unforgettable vacations in different and wonderful beaches of that country. As a child one of my favourite activities on the beach was to build sand castles. I would spend hours building them and perfecting my construction techniques. If a sea wave or a careless passerby would ruin it, I would go back and spend hours building new and more spectacular ones.
Despite my efforts trying to increase my castle’s lifespan, they would always end up the same way, in a small pile of dissipating sand. Nevertheless, in every new opportunity my child imagination would lead me to start building them again.
As adults, we must not lose that imagination and desire of children, and like them we must seek our own dreams. But it is fundamental to choose a better base over which to build our life and the material to be used in this construction, otherwise our efforts will fade away just like the sand castle.
Jesus reminds us in his Word that constructions are struck by the rain that falls, the rivers that overflow and by the winds that blow; and that in the same way our life will also be affected. To this end the Master adds that the house built in the rock remains, but the one built on sand vanishes.
It is wonderful to realise that we don’t build alone, the Master himself guides us through this process, recommending to us the best alternative for each phase to be erected. In other words, our dreams can materialise and endure as long as we accept the instructions offered by the Lord. This way, our life won’t be meaningless like a sand castle, but relevant as a lighthouse on the rock.
- Which are your dreams for the future?
- How can you get the Lord’s orientations for your dreams to materialize?
(Building in progress, Philippians 1:3-6 / Building with purpose, 1 Peter 2:4-5)
Commissioner Torben Eliason is the Territorial Commander of the Southern Africa Territory.