A Time to Build Sand Castles?

The air blowing in off of the Gulf of Mexico heightened my awareness of the surroundings. I wondered, Is the sky a brighter blue here than at home? I laughed as the playful wind gave me a new hairstyle. Though the sun beamed down upon my untanned skin, the cool breeze made me oblivious to the sunburn that was in progress.

As my younger daughter, Jena, and I walked along the wet sand at the edge of the water, I noticed that there were only a few sand castles. Since I had seen many families enjoying the sand and the surf, the scarcity of sand castles puzzled me.

When I commented on that, Jena responded, “Why bother to build sand castles? They’re going to get washed away.”

At first, I accepted the logic in her conclusion. Indeed, why waste time constructing something that won’t last 24 hours? Why not spend time doing something significant? Why invest our time and creativity in building sand castles when our energies are needed to solve the serious problems facing this world?

A voice inside me challenged those thoughts: “Lighten up. Not everything has to be ‘serious and stuffy.’ It’s perfectly okay to do something just for the sheer enjoyment of it.”

I pursued that line of thought. Those who build sandcastles do enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, but their pleasure is not the only benefit. For example, when builders are surrounded by noisy seagulls, brilliant sunshine, azure sky, gentle breezes, and wet sand, it’s easy to praise and thank the Creator.

Building sand castles builds relationships also. As sandy walls go up, emotional walls come down. Parent and child bond as they delight in working together on a simple project that allows each of them to use their creativity and skills. Even though the sand castle itself may be worthless and quickly washed away, the memories associated with it are priceless and last for a lifetime.

As the Old Testament writer says in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

 There is a time for everything,

a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

     A time to plant and a time to harvest…

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

     A time to grieve and a time to dance…

A time to tear and a time to mend.

     A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

Perhaps he would also agree that there is a time to work and a time to play, a time to face responsibilities, and a time to build sandcastles. 

I took this photo in Sanibel in 2014, several years after I wrote the above message.