Keep the shoreline in mind. Let’s look at what this means in this excerpt from our upcoming book, “A Legacy Life Devotional.”

Keep the Shoreline in Mind

“The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21

There’s the story of the businessman who negotiated with God. He asked God for permission to take just one suitcase to heaven when he died. After much pleading, God relented. Delighted, the businessman packed a suitcase full of gold. Upon his death, the man lugged his suitcase along. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by angels who quizzed him about the suitcase. He gleefully opened it for them. The angels were puzzled and asked him, “Why did you bring pavement?”

While the story brings humor, I’m afraid that it illustrates our own misconceptions of heaven. Heaven will be more beautiful, more delightful, and more abundant than anything we can conceive. Jesus said it this way, “My Father’s house has many rooms.” That word “rooms” is the Greek word monai, which can be translated as mansions. Compared to the drab, at best, modest homes of the Jewish villages, Jesus is expressing the wonder and grandeur of heaven’s mansions.

Stephen Covey, in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said it simply, “Begin with the end in mind.”

When You Need to Keep the Shoreline in Mind

Florence Chadwick was a long-distance swimmer. She was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, a swim she ultimately completed four times in her career. In 1952, she attempted to complete a swim from Catalina Island to the coast of California. She was accompanied by trail boats to ward off sharks and provide assistance if needed.

The weather was foggy and chilly. At times, she could hardly see the accompanying boats. She begged to be taken out of the water. Her mother, who was in one of the trail boats, encouraged her to keep going—she wasn’t far!

Fifteen hours into the swim, Florence was pulled into the boat. When she looked up, she saw that she was just a mile away from the shoreline. At the press conference, reporters asked her what went wrong. She said, “If I could have seen the land I know I would have made it.”

Two months later, Florence attempted the same swim and completed it. What was the difference? She said that the entire time she kept the shoreline in mind. Her story challenges us to consider whether we are focused on pavement or heaven.

O Lord, I confess that I’m too often caught up in the material and miniscule pursuits of this world. Help me to keep in mind always that Heaven is my shoreline!

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If you enjoyed this excerpt, keep reading about how you can help launch “The Legacy Life” this fall.

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Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published September 17, 2025

Topics: Family Legacy