Filling Holes.

The little boy made his way to the shoreline of the beach and began his favorite pastime. Scooping sand in both hands, he began digging a hole like a dog. Eventually he knelt and continued the effort until it was big enough in which to sit. Then he patiently waited for a wave to come and make his project complete.  Sometimes the wave came quickly, other times they only teased the boy making him question whether the hole was near enough to the sea. Either way, the boy's happiness depended on the whims of the sea.

One day, he dug a hole deeper than usual and found that the sand grew moist. Soon, water was visible, and he continued to dig until he had a pool in which he could sit. No longer was he dependent on the waves. He found a source of water within. Although he still enjoyed the dramatic encounters with waves and the deep water they provided, the childhood lesson was one he would not understand for many years.

Sand gave way to books, digging to employment. The effort remained the same, and the holes of his creating left him with a deep sense of satisfaction. Like his childhood activity, however, the effort was not complete without help from outside. Praise and adoration were needed to fill the holes, he was never content unless swimming in recognizable achievements.

Hole after hole, the game continued, but with every new hole there came hunger for bigger ones closer to the sea. Eventually, no hole was big enough, no amount of water sufficient. Sitting alone in the dry sand of his making, he learned there was a source of water within. Deeper, there lay an available abundance if only he was willing to dig deep.

Sometimes he looks longingly out at the sea and dreams of holes and waves, but at his feet is the freely given water capable of filling the only hole that matters.