More than Sand

One hot afternoon, Lorelei and Brandon's dad took them to the beach. After a refreshing swim, they stretched out on a blanket under an umbrella. Dad read a book, and Brandon fiddled with a waterproof watch he'd brought along. Lorelei sat up and took a handful of sand. She brushed most of it away and then tried to separate the grains in the small amount that was left."What are you doing?" asked Brandon."My teacher at church said our lesson next week is going to include something about sand. She asked if we ever tried counting the grains, so I thought I'd try." She went on counting--or trying to count--the tiny grains of sand in her hand. "That's impossible!" Brandon said after watching her for a moment. He rolled his eyes, picked up his raft, and headed for the water again.Lorelei sat on the blanket, staring at the sand, and Dad looked up from his book. "How's the counting coming? Do you think you'll be able to finish the whole beach this afternoon?" Lorelei sprinkled the sand she held over her feet. "I give up! I can't even count one handful.""No," said Dad. "This is a big beach, and the sand is deep too. And this is only one of the many beaches in the world." He laughed. "Isn't it wonderful that we can't count the grains of sand?" Lorelei looked puzzled. "Why is that wonderful?"Dad took out his phone and pulled up a Bible verse. "Psalm 139:18 says that God's thoughts about us are 'more in number than the sand.' That means more than all the grains of sand in the whole world," said Dad. "Just think of that!" He scooped up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers. "Long before we were ever born, He thought about us and came up with the perfect plan to save us from sin through His Son, Jesus. And He continues to think about us now and cares about every detail of our lives. God's thoughts and love for us are endless."Lorelei filled her bucket to the top with sand. Then she tipped it over and watched the millions and zillions of grains pour out. "Wow!" she said. "That's a lot of thoughts." -Nance E. Keyes