The Beach

My favorite place on the planet is the beach. When I was young, my family visited San Diego every summer. The cool ocean breeze felt so good after traveling almost 400 miles in our VW van and crossing the hot desert.

I remember looking out the window and longing to see the ocean. Many times I thought I could see the water, but the mirages would soon disappear. Once we made it over the final set of mountains, the air cooled and we all knew we were finally out of the desert. Soon we would be building sand castles and playing with our cousins as we listened to the ocean waves roar while the birds sang joyfully.

A couple of nights ago, we were driving through our neighborhood at night and I noticed that many of the homes were dark. It made me think of the time I was driving through the desert with my family on our way to our summer vacation at the beach. Christmas was just hours away and I could not wait for the day to arrive but so many homes were dark and desolate.

It is no fun being in the desert. I am sure that many of these families just didn't feel like celebrating or maybe they needed to conserve on their electric bills. I have never seen so many homes dark during Christmas.

For those of us that are lost in the desert, we need to remember that Jesus came to help us find our way out. If we are in darkness, He is the One who will light up our world. His birthday yesterday is just the beginning for all of us.

Just like the beach that always seemed so far away when we were crossing the desert, our bright future may only look like a mirage. Our Savior promises that what is ahead is not a mirage. He promises us eternal life. We may have to cross the desert to get there but there is a Heavenly beach that has been prepared for all us, including the ones who are in the darkness right now. Lets promise to share this good news with those around us who have their lights off...