Christ Church College, founded by Henry the Viii in 1546.
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
Matthew 7:24-27
As I walk around the center of Oxford, I am surrounded by buildings that have been stable and solid for hundreds of years. Beautiful Christchurch College is one of my favorites. This building and so many others around Oxford have stayed the course of many generations of students who have gone on to positions of influence and leadership, soldiers trained here for World Wars, many who were shaped in the context of this University of training and inspiration. Christchurch, the school above, was founded by Henry VIII in 1546. It houses the most sublime cathedral with a superb choir. The history goes even further than that....you’ll have to search it out. Each building that has held through all the seasons, the storms, the years, was built intentionally to last, to stand strong. They have become a picture to me of the wisdom of building a strong foundation, in and through the legacy of my own family, that we might weather storms, endure hardship and leave a lasting legacy of truth and light, as Jesus taught about.
He didn’t say, “if” the storms come but when they come. And so we would be wise to build ahead of time. During this storm of political unrest, financial unrest, job loss, isolation, we are living on the foundation we have built before we got to this juncture in history.
A great estate is built one brick at a time. And yet, strong foundations will hold firm through hundreds of years. I was taught early as a believer when in colloege, from almost my first day as a Christian, I have made it a daily priority to meet with God, to seek His truth, to practice praying and study Scripture one day at a time, to lay a brick of my own spiritual foundation one brick at a time.. This habit and these times have built a deep legacy of truth in my heart and soul from which I draw strength for my life. A daily, regular quiet time when I read the Bible, seek His wisdom, and pray to Him for my needs each day has been the means through which I am able to stay faithful as a mom.
Without this constant coming to Him, my life would be built on a foundation that would be swept out from under me in times of crisis. I have seen this so many times in my life. Jesus put this in picture-book terms when He told the story of the kinds of houses men build. He said:
A life built apart from the Word of God is a life doomed to crumble and fall. But if we, as moms, walk this journey with God's Word as our source of wisdom and life; if we listen to and apply the words of Jesus, we will indeed have a house (family) that stands through trials and difficulties. We will have a spiritual legacy that will last through eternity." ~ from The Mom Walk, below.
In the midst of cultural upheaval, political uncertainty, and the regular ups and downs of daily life, it becomes more and more important every day to pay attention to the foundations of our souls--to build well, to build strongly and with intention and skill. Taking time to dig and build ensures the strength to persevere through wind and rain that surely is on its way, if not here already. And teaching our children to do the same is one of the best investments of time we can make as moms.
Build one day at a time, today, lay one brick, and another tomorrow. Prepare to lay a firm foundation fo weather the storms ahead.
How strong are your foundations? How prepared are you for the storms that will come your way? It’s never too late to ask God to hold you fast and to help you stand strong.