Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.  –Psalm 136:26

A few years ago I read Ted Dekker’s The Forgotten Way. In Section 3, Part 8, he uses the analogy of spending time on a beach making sandcastles. Waves may wash them away or others may destroy the sandcastles, but we are too happy on the beach to care. We build another one anyway as we are too joyful to care.

I recall taking our daughter to the beach as one of our first activities together when we returned from Poland. I was so elated! Watching our sweet girl jump the waves with me and her father, and later with friends is emblazoned in my memory. She was a 15-year-old in a five-year-old body enjoying waves for the first time.

“We don’t have waves at the beach I went to in Poland!”

She not only jumped the waves, we raced up and down the beach, did exercises, took fun pictures and laughed a lot. We look forward to sometime this summer to relax on the beach, much like I did growing up in Brazil, and later in New England. I still enjoy building sandcastles until this day, and love watching younger children enjoy or destroy the castles. The atmosphere lends itself to that forgiving attitude. I always leave the beach tired, yet feeling strong and ready to return at the first available chance.

The part that creates comes from our spirits, the light of creation God put into us before we were formed in our mother’s wombs. It lives forever with the Father risen in this life when we take on Christ’s gift of salvation. It strengthens us in this life and the life to come.

Recently we lost a wonderful man. Jim Woodroof. I met Mr. Woodroof when I first moved to Boston in 1987. He and his wife Louine invited me to lunch that first day I visited the Burlington church where I learned unconditional love. I was honored to be a part of this church family for 13 years; met my husband while there, married there and had so many God-experiences at this sweet congregation. I enjoyed wonderful encouragers at this special church, whom I am in touch with until this day.

Jim was good friends with a man named Terry Smith, who was another minister, family counselor and encourager. I spent many a night and meal at the Smith table before they and the Woodroofs moved away. How I missed them when they left.

Recently on Facebook, Terry shared Jim’s testimony with a peaceful picture of Jim and Louine as Jim was going through hospice. Jim said that he was eager to see what was on the other side. I can imagine Jim’s continued love towards the Savior with whom he had walked all these years and taught so many. I hear he was at peace when he passed into eternity.

When I spoke to Terry Smith recently, he said that he and Jim challenged each other to finish their race strong. I once heard Chuck Swindoll preach a sermon about 20 years ago on the same subject, and it challenged me deeply.

Jesus finished strong. His life had to be taken from Him, but He was strong, and held on to the Father even when abandoned. Why? For our sakes. That our spirits may be strong until the end. The issues of doubt and weakness in the Christian are a part of our walk, but can serve to strengthen us, particularly when we grab on to the view that our spirits are eternal, and it’s from there that the body and mind follow. Our spirits reside on the beachside of Heaven always, whether here or there. It’s a joy.

The humble apostle also confessed a time that led him to desperation (2 Corinthians 1:8). Yet In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul speaks of finishing the race strong and keeping the faith.

No matter where we are, we can have confidence and peace about our salvation. As with Paul, there are comebacks, and sometimes there are many comebacks because we are eternally tethered to Life in the Father who renews our spirits daily and seasonally.

For the believer, focusing on forever in peaceful times and in seasons of comebacks are signs that God is alive in our lives. He is transforming us into something more solid and compassionate, that we may end our race strong. It tethers us to our spiritual loved ones in this age and the age to come. And this all, because of Jesus.

Amazing!