It was just warm enough Sunday afternoon for us to kick off our shoes and splash along the shoreline at the park. Brown Sugar and Lone Ranger built mud volcanoes and watched the brown “lava” ooze away in the gentle current. Songbird and I carefully wriggled our toes in the sand, mindful of buried pebbles and shells, as we chatted about summer plans. Think Tank tried to skip stones, almost losing his soccer ball in the process. Maven posed like Ariel on the crags jutting from the water. Hubby and the Crusader alternated between NBA playoff debates, taking pictures, and cautioning the little people. M&M—who doesn’t like the way the sand feels between his toes—frolicked in the grass while Oscar basked in the sun and tugged at the leash. But sadly, none of it could last forever. All too soon we were drying off our feet, lacing up our shoes, and fighting in the car.
That’s so like life, isn’t it? It’s beautiful, full of sun, waves lapping against the beach, families flying kites. But those waves can hide jagged rocks and carry bits of glass and broken shells, and they can overwhelm you, taking you out farther than you planned. Life is full of unexpected thrills and chills—like spying the snake slithering at the base of the rocks while oohing over the bridal party on the boardwalk. It’s imperfect—the warmth lured us to the beach, but the frigid surge almost drove us back to land. We’re never fully satisfied with our lot in life—Oscar would retrieve the stick we threw, but he’d never dive into the lake for it, not like that golden retriever. Life is full—of family, fun, opportunities, peace, sun…and strangers, work, sand and sharp pebbles, bickering, and loss.
Most of all, life seems too short. It disappears as quickly as our wet footprints on the rocks. Yesterday, we built sandcastles, played soccer, and ran around the playground, but we still packed up with sad faces because we didn’t get to go on the bike ride. The day…life…It’s just never long enough, something the families suffering in Orlando and around the world know all too well. Yet, there is something we sons and daughters of God can look forward to: a forever life with Him, every day in the Son. We mourned the passing of our time at the park, but we knew what awaited us—and it was more than the steak dinner.
At the end of our day, and yes, at the end of our life, we can go home. “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” Philippians 1:22-23
