As Summer 2021 ends take a moment to reflect on Sandcastles of Your Life

 

Warm sun, ocean breeze, rhythmic waves: a child is scooping up sand and packing it into a plastic pail. The little architect builds a castle tower. All afternoon spooning out the moat, packing the walls, creating bridges out of Popsicle sticks, setting up bottle tops as sentries.

Rather than a big city with busy streets and snarling traffic in 2021 the executive is in his office at home, shuffling files on his desk, holding Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting delegating assignments, reviewing data, juggling numbers. His cell phone seems to be permanently affixed to his ear and his laptop beckons his attention. The executive’s castle consists of stock options, capital gains, and annuities.

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common: They shape something with the sands of time and make something in the midst of nothing, they are determined and focused.  And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

The difference is the end, as the sun fades the child will be joy filled as the waves end the carefully built castle.  Filled with the joy from the day at the shore, the child leaves the day behind and heads for the next adventure, picks up the plastic tools and taking his father’s hand.  [Story partially adopted from Connections.com]

But the executive up is not so wise, his castle of stock options, capital gains, and annuities will be washed away someday, but will he have the courage to take The Father’s Hand and be guided by the Holy Spirit to the life God’s has planned for him?

St. Francis de Sales teaches us, “When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”   

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us to pray, "Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you."

Think about the Sandcastles you are building and remember to build them for the Lord, then God will guide your actions to The Kingdom.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

May God Be Praised and your day be Blessed.