"From almost my first day as a Christian, I have made it a daily priority to meet with God, to read books about Him, and to do in-depth studies of His Scripture. This habit and these times have built an incredible treasury 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:
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
A life built apart from the Word of God is a life doomed to crumble. 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
One of the Clarkson girls' favorite places to visit is Biltmore estate in Asheville, N.C. I often think as we walk the beautiful paths there about the awesome foundation that must be beneath that enormous home. The foundation of a large estate takes longer to build and uses more material, but the estate it holds will serve far more people and host more life events well.
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 strong and to build 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.
How strong are your foundations? How prepared are you for the storms that will come your way?
