Hurricane Prep
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27
Insight
I work for a home design company where we walk through homes in different stages of construction. A good percentage of our clients are new construction. Given what I've learned, I know the importance of having a solid foundation and repairing things when damage occurs. If you have a solid foundation, a good builder, and a reliable repair person, a home that has weathered the storm (or 2 or 3 or 4) can be rebuilt and repaired. However, an unstable foundation will eventually crumble.
I grew up with Christian beliefs. We went to church regularly, and my grandmother was a minister, which overflowed richly into our childhood. Moreover, I grew up in a home that had a spiritual foundation prepared for me. Yet, even with that strong foundation, my childhood home life had cracks in the walls. Windows got broken, and occasionally repairs would get done, but more often than not, they were left untouched.
When it came time for me to move on from this childhood home, I had the opportunity to build my own home. I was able to decide for myself what foundation I would build my life upon to support the weight of my hopes and dreams.
Spoiler: At first, I didn't go with a foundation that was Jesus-approved, and I chose to build all on my own.
The first go at building my own home had a foundation full of cracks, broken windows, and leaks in the roof. Overwhelmed with all the repairs the house (aka my heart) needed, I didn't know where to start. My heart was misaligned, and I had no clue who could help me make it right. It felt like storm after storm was hitting my home every couple of months, and I struggled to keep up.
Luckily there's a Person who is an expert at repairing broken things, and He shows up at any hour to start the work. He is reliable and capable of laying a foundation for a home that can weather storms. He is steadfast and present every time a repair needs to happen, and He will even help you rebuild the whole thing.
We can aid in preparing for the storms we will encounter in this life. Living on the coast, we are all too familiar with hurricanes and how important hurricane preparedness is! We are aware of hurricane season and make sure our homes can take the beating these powerful storms bring with them.
Sometimes our lives can feel like one long hurricane season. So we need to take the time and make preparation a priority because if we're not paying attention, if we choose to ignore what hurricane season brings, we will find that our lives can look like a house built on a faulty foundation. With no upkeep and no repairs, the fall of it could be significant.
Reflection
What would it look like to build your house on the foundation of Jesus? What would it look like to prepare for the storms life can bring?
Is your house built on the foundation of Jesus? Or do you need to invite Him in to help you rebuild or repair what's already there?
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for another day. Thank you for Your provision. This life is hard at times, Lord. It challenges us in ways that can bring us closer to You. Help us to remember You in the challenges, Jesus. Remind us that we are not alone, that we don't have to build the house on our own, that we don't have to do anything in this life on our own. You are so good, Father, and we love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Port City writer Sarah Banks wrote today's devotional.