I had an epiphany this morning as I drove out of my driveway passed the port-a-potty sitting in my yard. It was placed there by the company hired to repair my foundation for the second time. Bizzy (the name the grandkids gave him) and I had owned our house only 3 years when it was first repaired. He was the one who noticed that the bricks were falling off the house and called the builder. We were happy when they came quickly to resolve the issue. They even repaired the collateral damage that occurred.
Now here it is 7 years later and we are at it again. I can not tell you how disappointed and aggravated I was to discover the problem still existed. We learned that not only did they not properly fix the foundation, they accidentally puncture a water pipe and it has been leaking for 7 years. So today I have contractors at my home laying the ground work to lift my home 9 inches (yep, you heard me, 9 inches) and install 27 piers to make sure everything is leveled . To accomplish this they have dug 3 huge holes in the yard to tunnel under the house. They have uprooted a majority of the shrubbery in my front ( which If I have to be honest, makes me happy. I wanted to change the landscape anyway). With everything under way I begin to experience a glimmer of happiness until I didn’t anymore. You see I am being told that I need to be prepared to have more collateral damage then I had before. More, did you say MORE! As it is now we have cracks in the walls, floor tiles and the outside brick. I can hardly open my front door without help and the back door has to be secured by a crowbar and a 30 lb bag of dog food in order to stay close. What more could they possibly be speaking about. I just shake my head as I drive away. It is hard to believe that this much damage has occurred because of a bad foundation.
As I merge onto the highway I can not stop thinking about how all of this could have been avoided if more attention had been place on strengthening the foundation instead of erecting the house. We as humans tend to do the same things in our lives. We tend to care more about our external look then the foundation that our lives are built on. I have to tell you this realization made me question my life’s foundation. What does the building block of my life look like? Who am I down deep? What do I truly believe in? What grounds me when the world around me starts falling apart. It brings to mind the saying “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for everything”. The same can be said of foundations too. You either build it strong or it won’t last long. I have said it before and I am sure I’ll say it again, “You can’t build your house on sand without knowing it will wash away when the tide rolls in”.
The only difference between me and the house, I get to choose what I use to build my foundation . For me it’s a no brainer. My life was, is and always will be anchored by God. It’s like this, God is the rebar. Grace, mercy, forgiveness (not just from God to me but from me to others as well) and love are piers I use for my cornerstones. I also use kindness, compassion, understanding, servitude, and comfort to help support the corners. And If I am being Totally transparent I have piers of frustration, anger, hurt, confusion, disappointment and fear. Faith is my choice of concrete even though at times just like with the house small cracks are made and collateral damage has to be mended. I don’t panic though because I know the hotline I call to repair my life is available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Its call prayer. My foundation warranty is non-transferable but Always shareable and it lasts my life time. It even comes with building instructions called the Bible and it covers every situation imaginable. The greatest perks with this builder are the extra piers you can use when needed. For me it’s my family, my friends, and spending quality time with my LHC ladies. It’s comforting to know that when your life gets a little to heavy the extra piers are there if needed, to hold you up . This works vise versa too.
Now I realize not everyone shares my belief in God or desires to build their foundation on him. That is totally okay. That’s what makes being an unique individual so great. Having the freedom of choice in every area of our life. I’ve learned in my 50 something years, we don’t have to walk, talk, dress or sing alike to have the same dreams and goal. We don’t have to use the same method to obtain them either. We just have to all realize and recognize that anything worth building always starts with a firm, strong, leveled foundation . Everything that is but my house…. SMH
So today I challenge you to stop and asked yourself
What is your Foundation made of?