Peace is possible … if only the world were a beach

July 20, 2009 by Ylena Parks, MA
Filed under: Christianity, Family Life, Life 

Peace among nations and the coming together of different peoples in cooperation and harmony of efforts is possible – if only the world were a beach.  It may sound crazy but that’s the truth that I experienced this weekend as my family and fellow beach goers of various ages valiantly worked together to ”save” our waterfront fortress that my husband and son had spent hours building in the early part of the day.

It has become somewhat of a tradition this summer, our first summer living in Southern California, for my husband, myself and our two children to spend our Saturdays basking in the sun and playing in the waves of one of many Southern California beaches.  This past weekend we chose a popular So Cal beach.  We were there by God’s grace since parking was hideous, as usual, and after spending 30 minutes winding up and down the streets, God graciously opened up a prime parking spot just in front of a church by the sea.  Hallelujah!

So the family unpacked the car and the sand castle building accoutrements and set up camp along the water front – just far enough away from the waters edge to bask in the sun comfortably without fear of being swept away by a rogue wave yet close enough that the children could build their sandscape architectural masterpieces without having to stray too far from Dad or Step-mommy.

As is also now tradition in our family when at the beach, my husband and son immediately began discussions on whether a sand fortress or a big “hole to China” should be built/excavated along the waterfront.  Since they had nearly dug their way to China the previous weekend (my daughter and I put in orders for Chow Mein and Fried Rice but were sorely disappointed to find out that my husband’s muscles gave way far before reaching China) that today would be the day that a waterfront fortress was built.  So while the ladies did some sunbathing off went my husband and son to build the next Camelot.

And build they did.  My husband and son erected quite the sea bunker.  So much so that it garnered the admiration of nearby beachgoers and even attracted a father with his young son who were walking the beach and stopped to assist my son and husband in their efforts.

And then the unmentionable happened – the fortress was breached!  As the tide began to slowly rise and the waves got bigger, one by one rogue waves were crashing against the fortress and slowly but surely water was seeping through the walls creating a nice little pool in the bunker.  And, remember, we were building a bunker for the Army not the Navy so water simply wouldn’t do.

The day was still young and our hearts were still in it, so each of us – my daughter, son, husband and I – began franticly scooping sand into buckets, large and small, in an attempt to fortify the fortress walls.  Perhaps spurred by the frantic and excited look in our eyes, the father and son duo who had stopped joined in the efforts.  Then, slowly but surely, more children who had been playing nearby joined in the efforts to save our masterpiece.  Together we all worked as a team to fortify the walls against the brutality of the waves.

I wish I could say that we won the battle but, alas, God’s creation – the wave – is far more powerful and consistent than our efforts; so eventually the walls of the fortress collapsed.  But what struck me as I was swimming in the icy cold water, cleansing off the sand that I had been covered in and gazing back at the shore where the fortress had once stood, was how many different people had been involved in the effort to build, maintain and defend the sand fortress.  We had Caucasian, Mexican, African American, Asian, young people, old people (of course that wouldn’t be my husband or I – ha, ha) and all the mix working together to save one man’s and one boy’s efforts.  These people didn’t know us, nor did we know them; and, most likely, none of us will see one another again.  But at that moment at the beach we were one – we were a team.

It amazes me how the Lord arranges our lives in a perfect tapestry with one event preparing us for or leading us into another.  “Coincidentally” on Sunday my husband and I were asked to teach Sunday school for the 1st – 5th grades and our topic was that of spiritual gifts.  One of our scriptures we explored was 1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. “  Our teaching was about the various gifts with which God annoints his people and how each one of us is gifted differently.   And while the gift(s) is equal and valuable on its own, our gifts are even more impactful and powerful when brought together with other gifts.   Its through bringing all the gifts together that we are able to form the Body of Christ – the most powerful form of unity outside of the Holy Trinity.

And that is exactly what I witnessed on the beach that day – the bringing together of abilities/gifts to accomplish something that one person or two people alone could not accomplish.  Of course, unlike that day, the bringing together of spiritual gifts will result in something stronger than any rogue “wave” or human effort because they are bound by the Holy Spirit and empowered by God .. and there is nothing strong than that!

Thank you, God, for your teaching and provision!

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  • Meet Ylena

    Ylena Parks, a native Californian, is married to a godly man and has two beautiful step-children. She has a Master's in Community/Clinical Counseling from Eastern University and presently works as an MFT Intern at OC Chrisitan Counseling in Garden Grove, CA.

    Ylena came to Christ at Calvary Chapel-Monterey Bay in 2001. It is through Christ's work in her that she conquered a 10-year battle with Anorexia, a disorder which consumed her 20s and led her along a path of self-destruction ... and eventually into the arms of Christ.

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