In Bandon Oregon there is a guy named Denny Dyke. Several times throughout the year, he and his team hit the beach at low tide and draw these beautiful labyrinths in the sand. They are indeed pieces of art! After the labyrinth has been drawn, Denny will say a few words to the gathered spectators and then he opens the labyrinth up for everyone to walk through and enjoy.

My wife and I happened to be in Bandon a couple of weeks ago when Denny was creating one of his works of art early in morning. Not only was it fun to see it take shape, it was impressive to see how many people assembled to enjoy Denny’s work, simply because he was willing to share it with others.

So many people were watching the design come to life and eagerly waiting to walk through it when it was completed. It was fun to see! There were no shortage of smiles, laughter, and comments like, “This is so cool!” Denny was even gracious enough to involve others by having interested bystanders rake sand within the design. (I got to rake a section by the exit! So much fun!) It was a fantastic morning and a fun experience I will never forget.

As with all his labyrinths, the tide eventually comes back in and reclaims the beach, erasing the team’s work, but certainly not the joy and memoires it brought. The good news is that Denny will be back out during another low tide, ready to create joy and memories for others with another one of his pieces of art.

Be encouraged and motivated by Denny’s example. While we don’t all have Denny’s talent for making artistic sand trails, we all have the capacity to bring joy to the people around us.