Under Construction

We arrived at Grandma's house and were happy to have a front row seat at the road construction in front of the house.  My four year old boy's dream come true!  Everyone had their noses to the glass watching as the tractors dug up a section of road, laid down pipes, then put the dirt right back in.  My mom told me they have done this at least five times already.  One section has stayed open for days since they found a leaking pipe and needed to repair it before covering it up.  It has been fun to watch the workers as they continue to make improvements to the layers that will eventually be underneath the new road top that is still weeks away.

Parenting my children can be a lot like the road building process.  We often have to work hard to get at the real problem.  Sometimes there are things that need more work so we keep the road open and our eyes on the problem so that we can help our kids get it right.  I want my children to have more than a new shiny road surface or a happy life.  I want for them to have a good solid base to drive on.  And so I try to give them the time and attention they need to have solid layers underneath the top layer that is easiest to see.  And if I see that there is a problem that needs more attention I will dig up the road again and again to help my son or daughter learn and grow.

I think God sees us like a road sometimes, too.  He offers us the best materials, but we have to be the ones to accept what he gives us.  We have to be willing to let him dig up the road and expose the problems underneath if we are going to have a solid foundation.  If we choose to ignore Him and the problems that are hiding under the surface then eventually we will get potholes and the top layer of our road will crack and get uneven.  Driving straight and safe will get harder and harder until we eventually dig up the whole road and start from scratch.

Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “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. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”