Psalm 61:1-3 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

Sometimes I have felt utterly desperate – like the world is coming to an end. My heart is overwhelmed… I have been following after worthless things – flammable goods – investing in a beautiful sand castle, complete with a moat, pillars, and spires. My moat is full of salt water which cannot quench my thirst. Nothing can grow inside the heart of my sand castle. But it is beautiful – at least that’s what the world tells me. I stand on my drawbridge, arms crossed.

Then the waves come. First small waves, refilling my moat. I go into my sand castle, to the top of the wall, to keep an anxious eye on the waves. They can’t reach me up here…, but wait! There is a vibration under me! I peer over the wall. Oh no! The walls that I have so carefully poured my heart into are eroding. The tide’s greedy hand is shaving away years of my hard work. Then the wall that I am standing on starts leaning precariously toward the sea and another huge wave comes. It is bigger even than my whole castle. It engulfs me. My once proud castle no longer knows which way is up nor which way is down, and neither do I. Sand is in my eyes; saltwater stings my face. My life’s work has vanished.

Suddenly, I am thrown against a hard surface. The air in my lungs leaves me. I reach out and try to grab the object – my hands are rewarded as I grasp onto it. It is a large rock. The waves pull at me violently, but I am determined to hang onto it. I climb to the highest point on this rock. The waves are far below me now, turning and twisting violently. I no longer fear them now, because I am standing on the Rock that is higher than I, abiding on this solid foundation, singing a song of praise.

I no longer miss my sand castle!