Building a Wall....part 2

In building a wall, one of the first questions asked is, what do I do first? One of the first things I had to do when I started building was remove any debris that was in the way. I had to rake back the leaves and remove all the dead grass from the area. I knew if I tried to lay brick on top of debris the wall would not be sturdy and could fall. What is the debris in your life, you may be asking. All the anger and the bitterness that has developed over time needs to be removed. The hatred and vindictive feelings left by the destruction needs to be taken out and buried. Nothing can be left at the base that could cause the new wall to be unstable. How do you do that, you ask? One way is repentance; understanding that the words you've spoken or the actions you’ve taken has caused an area of your life to become torn down and destroyed. Then you must be willing to turn away from such actions and start over. But what if the reason my wall fell wasn’t because of me but because of someone else, you may ask? Then the second way to remove debris is by offering forgiveness…one of the hardest things to do sometimes is say, I forgive you. Even though you know the person that caused the destruction did it intentionally, you have got to learn to forgive. When we truly repent and forgive, the debris from the collapse seems to easily to brush away.

The second thing I had to do, before I started building, was to pack and level the ground. I had to make sure when I placed that first brick on the dirt it didn’t shake or wobble like a weeble wobble. Ensuring the ground we build on is secure is hard. It requires time, effort and a lot of energy. But what we put into it is worth it when the marching of the troops doesn’t vibrate the walls down, allowing the enemy to enter in and destroy what we have. The ground has to be solid.

What did you have the first wall built on? Was the foundation a little shaky? Were there a few loose patches of doubt that shifted during a few minor attacks? Were there a few roots of bitterness or jealousy that were left in the ground? Was the ground compromised from an earlier dispute prior to the wall being built? All of those things must be removed and the ground packed solid around the areas where they lay. If not, you’ll be right back where you are in a short period of time.

Once I had the ground packed and leveled, I was eager to lay the first brick. I took the first one and laid it in place; I then took the second and laid it next to the first one. I repeated this process about fifteen times until I noticed something disturbing. My bricks had cracks and chips in them. I can’t use bricks or stones that have flaws. What kind of wall would this be? I want a secure wall, I want a wall that won’t allow my dirt to seep through a crack or allow a varmint to slip through. I need a wall that will be strong, supportive and protective. Flawed product just won’t do.

Isn’t that what we do? We use “products” in our lives that are flawed thinking that we won’t reap any repercussion from using them. Fake friends, social media, get rich quick schemes and website horoscopes are a few items that could be classified as flawed product. We’ve all had them in our lives, but to use them as protection or to use them as a place of shelter is asking for trouble. Remove the flawed product you've had in place and watch how the wall becomes stronger.  Confidence in the products and people you have is vital to a secured life. 

As I finished laying the final bricks on the wall, I took a step back to review my work. I was proud of what I had built. I put a lot of time, effort and energy into this wall. I took pictures and called the family out to look at what I had done. I, a man who can’t hammer a nail without hitting his thumb, had completed a project. Not only completed a project, but accomplished a task that would protect, secure, and support whatever “LIFE” was placed behind it. 

…Just my thoughts on a page.