The Foundation Matters
Earlier this summer, I talked my husband in to putting a fire pit area in our back yard. Now, it might feel helpful for me to let you know that I came up with the idea on a whim the weekend before. We had an dirt 16x20 space set aside in our back yard for a garden, but I decided I didn’t want the commitment of a garden in this season. I was tired of the dogs using this patch of dirt for a mud wrestling pit, so I suggested we use the space for a fire pit and outdoor seating area.
With little to no preparation on my part, I ordered some Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, some solar lights, and some large pots for plants. My husband was traveling so I sent him an Instagram inspiration picture and let him know how excited I was to work on this project with him. I also sent a text to my boys inviting them to be a part of this Weekend Family Project Extravaganza.
In my mind, this was a simple project that we could team up on and knock out in one full day of family togetherness. In reality, it took the better part of two and a half days and much more work than I had anticipated.
There’s a reason for this. I thought we’d begin with this pre-dug 16x20 dirt space and just dump in some gravel, set a fire pit in the middle, stack a few paving stones around the pit, set some chairs down, throw a few plants in the planter and TADA… one incredible family fire pit area. Project complete. Family time accomplished. I was even planning a s’mores night for the end of that first day. Little did I know, the foundation matters.
My husband, a builder by trade, showed up that first evening with a pile of tools and a truck load of gravel, sand, and stone. For hours we raked and leveled the ground before adding a layer of sand to the perimeter so we could set paving stones. We strung leveling lines and measured and scooted stones a fraction of an inch until, after a full evening of work, we had laid a single line of bricks around the perimeter of this patch of dirt. What I thought might take the first 30 minutes of a day to an entire evening.
By the second day, I was continually reminding myself that my husband’s attention to detail and desire to do things well is what makes him a good builder. Gritting my teeth a little, I helped as he and I spent the whole next morning raking the dirt patch to level it as much as possible, before finally adding a layer of rock. We shoveled and moved rock for half of the day until it was all perfectly and evenly distributed so that we could move on to the next phase of the project.
Any time I suggested a short cut, my husband reminded me that the foundation work mattered most. If we didn’t have a good foundation, things would shift and the project would fail.
That whole day went on much the same. We had to put a foundation layer under the fire ring and the stones that would go around it. What I thought would take minutes took hours. What I might have haphazardly rushed through, my husband meticulously paid attention to. He continually let me know that the effort in the making sure the groundwork was done was fundamental to our overall success.
Eventually we did finish and the result was beautiful. To celebrate the completion of the fire pit, we gathered around that evening under the stars and made s’mores. That night, as I was reflecting, I thought about how important it was to my husband to lay a good foundation throughout this project. The foundation mattered most. Nothing we built would have had any longevity to it unless we did the proper groundwork first.
I smiled as I remembered Matthew 7:24-27 NIV “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Laying the foundation takes time and effort. It’s not glamourous and it isn’t showy. It’s slow and intentional. It’s the work no one notices and no one celebrates, but it is the crucial work.
In our lives, we get to choose whether or not we put in the work to lay a solid foundation. We choose what we built our days upon and our lives upon. Doing the slow and intentional work of building your life daily on a foundation of God’s word, prayer, and worship ensure that you can endure no matter what comes your way. God is the only firm foundation that will hold up in this world. Let’s be people who are willing to do build our lives on a solid relationship with our good God.
Prayer
God, thank you that you invite us to build our lives on the firm foundation of our relationship with you. You love us. You care for us. You want to remain connected to us and for us to intentionally choose to remain connected to you. Show us how to build our routines and the regular day to day rhythms of our lives on you. Teach us to make you the firm foundation of our days and of our lives. Amen.
Scripture Meditation
Matthew 7:24-27 NIV “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Journal Reflection
How do you make God the foundation of your day? How are you intentionally choosing to prioritize spending time with him, talking with him, and following his way throughout your day?
Practice
Think about your daily schedule. When are the regular times you set aside just for deep connection with God? How might you build in more moments of intentional attention to God? Can you begin and end your day with God?