Rock and Sand

Every once in a while, old Sunday School songs from my childhood will reappear in my mind out of nowhere, and I’ll find myself humming them while running errands or doing chores around the house. The most recent blast from the past has been this nostalgic earworm. If you're familiar with it, you likely remember the corresponding hand motions and that the word "splat" should be shouted with enthusiasm!

The parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, found in Matthew 7:24-27, has taken on much greater significance in my adult life. I have personally faced many storms that threatened to wash away my stability, exposing the true state of my life's foundation. This has led me to either feel gratitude for the solid rock beneath me or to recognize how shaky and sandy I have allowed my life’s foundation to become.

In “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives,” Elder Thaddeus wrote, “The Lord permits many disappointments, sorrows, and misfortunes to befall us in this earthly life in order that we might stop placing our trust in the world, which harms us so much, and that we might realize that He alone is the Source of all comfort, peace, and stillness.”

Reframing the rain and floods as an impetus to refocus on Christ and the stability He alone provides makes St. Paul’s urging to rejoice in our tribulations far less bewildering. I tend to be distractible and forgetful, often getting caught up in earthly concerns and ambitions. Gradually, I drift further from the rock of my Orthodox faith until life's storms blow in, sending me scrambling back to the One Thing Needful. Each time I return, I experience the relief of being anchored and rooted in the Source of all peace, health, and liberation from my destructive passions. This reinforces the truth that seeking after Christ first—every day and every moment—renews my soul, thoughts, and relationships in a way that resisting this fundamental truth never can.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.

- Romans 2:3-4

As I have aged and gained experience—often through difficult lessons learned the hard way—I find myself wandering less frequently. Instead, I choose to hold tightly to rhythms, habits, and boundaries centered around Christ, light, simplicity, productivity, connection, and beauty. Intentional living has heightened my awareness of both the big and small triggers and temptations that lead me away from a strong faith and an eternal perspective. I’ve learned that being faithful in the little things—those everyday small restraints and acts of obedience—can lead to significant transformation in our hearts and mindset.

I encourage you today to pause for a moment and check in with yourself. How is your foundation? Are you rooted in Christ’s peace or sinking in the sand of anxiety and overwhelm? Get quiet and reflect on the sources of your inner turbulence. Have you spent time in prayer today? What kind of content have you been consuming? Are you exhausting yourself trying to control what is out of your control? Have you released your future and loved ones into God’s hands? Are you resisting God’s will or yielding to it? Are you leaning into gratitude or grumbling? Are you living in yesterday or tomorrow? Take this opportunity to stop flailing and fretting, and to return to Christ, to the present moment, to stillness,  and to habits that nourish your body, mind, and soul. 

You can begin again right this minute! Christ is always in our midst, patiently waiting for us to come to our senses and run back home. He will never forsake or disappoint us!