I truly do love to build things. Not that I am all that good at it but I do love the effort, the exercise, the need for precision. When I build, it is something like a deck and no, please don’t ask me to do it for you. I can plan it for you, order the materials but I have arrived at an age where I would prefer to supervise.
Now would be a good time to wonder, what is he going on about here? Well, the point is about foundations. I have just finished the foundation for a deck at home and it made me keep thinking, if I get this right, it will last forever and will look good and support all of the things I want to put on it. It has taken time though, I had to shift here, adjust there, speak with God a few times, and adjust the plans. In the end, it is level, square and just what it needed.
That is exactly what God is trying to teach us all. Build a good foundation and stick with it until it is just right. Once that is complete, you can build most anything on it and it will last. The foundation, as I believe it to be, is Christ. There was a moment in my life when it all came together perfectly – God and I were one. It was a sacred and special moment that I have only had a few of since, but that moment planted the cornerstone.
In that first moment, I knew the building could be really nice. Sadly, there was no one to really tell me how to finish that foundation. I had to mostly figure it out myself. I had a few contributors along the way, adding a suggestion here and there, but I have spent so many years getting it square, level and plumb. That is wrong. Where was the Church? Where were those Christians that were supposed to help me get this right?
For my new deck, my lovely wife was able to help on a few days and it was so much easier! It was so much faster! And the shared experience was exquisite. I think there is an important point here. Those of us who have completed our foundations owe a debt to all of those coming behind us. We are called to help others get it right. NO, we are not there to tell them what to build, we are there to help with the foundation. What they build is up to them.
If we really are the Church, then we should be seeking out others to help with foundation work. The basics of faith, prayer, and following God each day. Good habits that we should be demonstrating and living out for others. God is Love, let us strive to live out that Love every moment. And look for those who are building their foundations. Pitch in and help, it makes what you are building for yourself even better.
TMM