Buried in the Sand

I'm in Seagrove FL. a small town between Panama City and Pensacola. I'm looking around at some of the most beautiful emerald waters I've ever seen. I'm worn out by the beach and the sun and well,... my girls. If there was such a thing as the anti-energizer bunny I would love to introduce my little ladies to it. Anyways, after 2 hours of jumping waves and after 342 hauls out to the waves with a body board and a child in tow, and after all my sandcastles have been destroyed by "happy feet," I take to other things, such as fishing... for minnows, in the shallow pools left on the sand by the outgoing tide.

It was while catching dozens of minnows that I noticed “the others.” That’s right, other animals living just underneath the surface of the sand. These animals are only exposed when the waves crash on the surface and the sand is washed away. I sat there and watched as wave after wave crashed on the shore sending these little animals looking for cover. The second they found themselves on the surface they immediately dug back in.

I found myself feeling sad for them... I mean, what kind of life is that? How can you live taking a peak at the sun and ocean and all that’s around us for just one second and running again to hide. So, I’m thinking that maybe if they would just hang out for a little bit... if they would only give the outside a chance, that maybe, just maybe, they would see things as I see it and like it. Here’s why I think they would like it... so I grabbed a Sand Crab also known as a “Sand Flea” and took it out and put it in a bucket. It died! So then I grabbed a funky looking clam-like shell and put it in a bucket. It died! Everything I dug from the sand eventually died...

Here’s what I learned... all living things have environments they thrive on and environments they die on. What is good for one is death to another. This is also true about our spiritual environments. What we do on a weekly basis at DEEPER and what happens at GODencounters means death to some... while others thrive!

Recently we were reminded that some people don't appreciate what we do... that's okay! I understand. I understand that diversity is key in reaching the "world." I understand that I might not be able to reach ALL people, but that all of us working TOGETHER can make it happen when we stop beating people up for worshipping differently than us. I'm talking to myself here... The best thing we can do when challenged about our worship style is to nod in agreement... in agreement, not of environment, but of diversity... and to encourage and empower those individuals to grow and thrive... under the sand!