SANDY LAND!
Years ago the Gospel Hymns Quartet were singing at a Christian Church in Lincoln City on the Oregon coast. Jim and I stayed at a widow's home after the program. She was a gracious hostess and we enjoyed her matter of fact ways. She even had a short wave radio so she could listen into all the police calls. Her home backed up to a small wooded area and on the other side was a sandy beach where the ocean backed into a small cove leaving a private swimming pool for all the homes that curved around the end where her house was.

About 500 ft across from her sandy swimming pool was an island that several homes had been built on. The island was longer than it was wide and of course was surrounded by water. The only way out to those homes was by boat and the only thing on the ground was sand mixed with dirt and not very much vegetation. My first thought was; "How wide was the island when those houses were built?" "Did it start out as a pensinsula?"

On the Florida coast I have seen pictures of homes being built on stilts to keep them above the tides coming in and washing them away. Many Islands along the Atlantic ocean also have homes built on stilts to protect them from the waters below. My question is always; "Why?" Why would people want to build their homes under such precarious conditions? Why would that be attractive or adventurous?

How many new homes being built, later on end up with cracks. you see cracks in the ceilings; cracks in the foundations and cracks on the walls. If you live in California, you say; "These cracks must have been caused by an earthquake!" Some cracks are expected and most can be fixed. You don't have to condemn a fairly new home because of a few cracks.

How many homes have you stayed or lived in that are near the ocean? We lived about 3 miles from the ocean and experienced the fog but the closer you lived to the ocean you experience the dampness that would permeate your whole house and the musty smells that permeated not only your home but your linen's, clothing and furniture. Living near the water affords absolutely breathtaking views. But living near the water has it's drawbacks, also.

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; the rain fell and the floods came; the winds blew and beat upon that house; but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; the floods came; the winds blew and beat against that house and it fail; And great was the fall of it." Matthew 7:24-27

Preceding this passage, Jesus says; "Not everyone who says to me; Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father." When they explained how righteous they were; Jesus said; "Depart from me, I never knew you!"

Such a state is like living on a sandy land. It is like pretending to be what you are not! It is thinking that the show we put on for others is exactly what is seen by God. All the things we do in secret are made known to Him. We use to sing a chorus about building your house on the sandy land. The tune is lively and words are memorable. It reminds us how we are to build our spiritual home that houses the Holy Spirit. "Don't build your house on the sandy land. Don't build it too near the shore. For it might be kind of nice, but you'll have to build it twice and you'll have to build your house once more. You got to build your house upon the rock. You've got to build a firm foundation on a solid spot. For the storms....may....come and go, but the peace of the Lord you'll know." By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/26/09