Grandma says: Build Your House on the Rock
When Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed built their new house following their remarriage, they first laid a very solid foundation. Although some 66 or so years later, long past the end of their life journey, the house has fallen into disrepair but the foundation is still securely intact.
Grandma Fannie often quoted a biblical verse the wisdom of which is found in nearly every culture and religion. She was quoting from the Bible used by Christians. Specifically, she would read a new Testament passage found in Matthew 7:24-27. The English Standard Version reads as follows:
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25 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. 26 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. 27 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.”
Actually, Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed’s house was built on the solid red clay prevalent in the part of Oklahoma in which they lived, This was the same red clay which, for many years, had been used by the local brick factory to create bricks which would be used for building many of the homes.
Although Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed did apply this wisdom to the building of their house, her primary concern when talking to her grandchildren was, as was true for Matthew, the spiritual foundation which would serve us in all area of our lives. As a child I was an avid reader although I did think the amount of time which Grandma Fannie expected us to study, pray, attend church and otherwise building that foundation a bit excessive. Yet, looking back, the lessons she sought to instill in us would serve us well for the rest of our lives. Often, when making a decision, I think of what Grandma Fannie might have advised. There were issues which were not addressed directly by Jesus, his disciples, the minister, or Grandma Fannie, but there are some basic questions which I know I need to ask myself before I make a decision. These questions include:
· Would you be proud to share your decisions with God, the minster and most importantly, with yourself?
· Who will be affected or impacted by your decision?
· Would you want others, including Grandma Fannie, to make the same decision?
· Have you prayed about the decision?
· Are you being honest with yourself and with God?
· What foundational principles underlie your decisions.
Of course, I wish I could say that all my decisions for the past seven plus decades have been made only after carefully considering the answers to these six questions. Yet, I know that is not true. I have made decisions based on what felt best for the moment or what would gain me the positive attention or praise of others. I have also made decisions based on what was the most comfortable or what I feared others might think. Some decisions were made impulsively without giving any thought to the long-term consequences. Some of these ill-conceived and implemented decisions had pretty positive results in the short term. Some had disastrous results. As might be true for the house build on sand, if the weather was very mild the house might stand for some time but long term nothing good would come of anything built on the sand of impulse, immediate comfort, or fear of what others might think.
No matter what decisions I make, Grandma Fannie’s voice is always there reminding me to build on the rock of spiritual integrity.
Written April 17, 2017
When Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed built their new house following their remarriage, they first laid a very solid foundation. Although some 66 or so years later, long past the end of their life journey, the house has fallen into disrepair but the foundation is still securely intact.
Grandma Fannie often quoted a biblical verse the wisdom of which is found in nearly every culture and religion. She was quoting from the Bible used by Christians. Specifically, she would read a new Testament passage found in Matthew 7:24-27. The English Standard Version reads as follows:
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25 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. 26 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. 27 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.”
Actually, Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed’s house was built on the solid red clay prevalent in the part of Oklahoma in which they lived, This was the same red clay which, for many years, had been used by the local brick factory to create bricks which would be used for building many of the homes.
Although Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed did apply this wisdom to the building of their house, her primary concern when talking to her grandchildren was, as was true for Matthew, the spiritual foundation which would serve us in all area of our lives. As a child I was an avid reader although I did think the amount of time which Grandma Fannie expected us to study, pray, attend church and otherwise building that foundation a bit excessive. Yet, looking back, the lessons she sought to instill in us would serve us well for the rest of our lives. Often, when making a decision, I think of what Grandma Fannie might have advised. There were issues which were not addressed directly by Jesus, his disciples, the minister, or Grandma Fannie, but there are some basic questions which I know I need to ask myself before I make a decision. These questions include:
· Would you be proud to share your decisions with God, the minster and most importantly, with yourself?
· Who will be affected or impacted by your decision?
· Would you want others, including Grandma Fannie, to make the same decision?
· Have you prayed about the decision?
· Are you being honest with yourself and with God?
· What foundational principles underlie your decisions.
Of course, I wish I could say that all my decisions for the past seven plus decades have been made only after carefully considering the answers to these six questions. Yet, I know that is not true. I have made decisions based on what felt best for the moment or what would gain me the positive attention or praise of others. I have also made decisions based on what was the most comfortable or what I feared others might think. Some decisions were made impulsively without giving any thought to the long-term consequences. Some of these ill-conceived and implemented decisions had pretty positive results in the short term. Some had disastrous results. As might be true for the house build on sand, if the weather was very mild the house might stand for some time but long term nothing good would come of anything built on the sand of impulse, immediate comfort, or fear of what others might think.
No matter what decisions I make, Grandma Fannie’s voice is always there reminding me to build on the rock of spiritual integrity.
Written April 17, 2017
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