THAT HAPPY PLACE

 A huge green plastic turtle—so old its eyes have faded away—has occupied the backyard for decades. In the 1980s, it delighted a little boy and later a little girl, who found sand to be fun and creative. (Because its lid was faithfully replaced at night, I never worried about animal waste finding its way to the sand!) Now that my grandchildren have passed the age of sand-play at that old turtle-box, it's time to let it go to a new home. But not without first reflecting on just what is a “happy place.”

Of course, I think about how the Bible defines “happy.” Psalm 144:15 says, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” Similar truths are expressed in others: 20 Bible Verses about Happiness - Uplifting Scripture Quotes . But in reflecting on the word “happy” in its spiritual sense, I'm often taken to a famed quote by Frederick Buechner (1916-2022):

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. (1)

Ironically, Buechner's father died of suicide when he was only ten years old. But he emerged from that childhood trauma to become a well-known Presbyterian minister and author of 39 books. One writer characterized Buechner as showing “faith despite doubt.” Among his famed quotes:

*”If it seems a childish thing to do, do it in remembrance that you are a child.” (So yes, help a child build a sand castle! And remember the importance of childlike faith and trust in God.)

*”Pay mind to your own life, your own health, and wholeness. A bleeding heart is of no help to anyone if it bleeds to death.”

*”Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.” (Have you seen that on a gravestone? I think it fits.)

*”Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin.” 

This reminded me of another quote, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, (1932-1996), and how life's trials can be redeemed if they turn us into “wounded healers”:

Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.” (2)

Have you ever considered what sand used to be? Rocks! But when rocks are broken and eroded, they take on new purposes. They can even become sand for a child's play-place of imagination. Where tiny cars and trucks find new highways. Mountains and valleys emerge for a new world. And when there's water around, an imagined little city or park.

And maybe there's another message here. When the Hand of God is moving around the sands of our lives, will we allow Him to create a masterpiece for His glory?

(1) Quote by Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is the place where y...”

(2) Quote by Henri Nouwen: “Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounde...”