Building Your Family

As I listened to the strange bump-thump in the gutter above my head, I began to realize this was not normal.  I turned my attention to the roof of the house, only to see a bird with a straw-filled beak, disappear under the gutter cover.  It dawned on me.  A mother bird and her mate were building a beautiful nest for their precious little ones that would soon be here.

I watched for some time.  In and out they went - wrestling with branches and pine straw, desperate to prepare...to fill the area with all the things needful of small, helpless hatchlings.  

I admired their tenacity - their brilliance and handiwork.  Yet, part of me was saddened.  You see, I can see what WILL happen.  I can see the water from the storms pouring into the gutter and filling it - ripping their hard work apart, killing the little ones they were trying to protect.

They will not have planned for the water.  

Instead, their planning was focused mainly on trying to find the perfect place to build their family. But for all their hard work - their endless flittings - futility would be their harvest - futility and destruction.

Those thoughts really made me question whether or not we are doing anything different.  We plan our lives one fury-filled fit after another, trying to "provide" for our families - trying to stay afloat.  We, as a society, prize working long hours to obtain great pay, so that we can "build" our families - "care" for our young.  We plan for them to have the best of everything and never lack for anything.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with that, yet what if the fitful "building" we are involved in, is actually the thing that ultimately destroys, instead of builds our families?  What if working that extra job for some "rainy day" cash will cost us more than we think? What if more time at the office and less time with our kids, leads to some difficulties for which our money could never prepare us?  Are we building our families or choosing to deliberately destroy them?  Do our priorities in our days dictate our desires for our family, or do our desires for our family dictate our priorities?

What if we spend all this time "building," only to find that the end of our "building" is destruction.

Matthew 7:24-27 says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  

Build your house on the Rock - on Christ - on His desires for your family - His desires for you. Search His heart in all your decisions, including the ones concerning your family.  Plan for the water, my friend, by making sure you and your plans for your family are securely seated on the Rock.  

Thank You, Father, for promising me that if I seek You, I will find You if I search for You with all my heart.  I want to know You, Lord.  I want to know Your plans for myself and for my family, so that I can walk in the Truth that You are directing my steps and going before me on this journey.  Thank You, Lord.  I love You.  

Definitely NOT Worthless Bread

I wonder sometimes if we are more like the Israelites in the Old Testament than we like to admit.

I'm considering this today in response to Numbers 21:4, 5: "Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.  And the people spoke against God and against Moses;  'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.'"

I read this and the first thing that comes to mind is "OH MY STARS!" (That's what we say in Mississippi when we are totally taken aback by shocking events.)

How could they do that?  How could the slavery-freed Israelites gripe at God about the journey on which He was personally leading them?  Even more, how could they call God's perfect provision - God's perfect food (manna) - "worthless?"  This "bread" provided all the nutrients, protein, vitamins, etc...that the people would ever need.  God even made it sweet.  He could have created it to taste like that liquid medicine pharmacists flavor, just so it continues to go down and not come back up!  But no...only the best for His kids.

So how did it come to this?  How did the Israelites go from singing God's praises one minute to criticizing His leading and His gifts the next?  

I think it may have something to do with choice.  It says the Israelites were discouraged in their souls. I can see how that could happen.  Their lives WERE difficult.  They had sand in their shoes and no place to call home.  They probably stopped focusing on where they were going and started focusing on where they were - in the desert - hot, sweaty, and feeling abandoned.

Don't we do the same thing?  God does something incredible in our lives - something that only He could do - and before you know it, we are questioning His plans and His provision.  We focus on our surroundings, not on Him.

Well today, I for one, don't want to be lumped into same category as the Old Testament-wandering Israelites.  I'd much rather be found fulling trusting of God's provision in my wilderness and thankful for His glorious-tasting manna.

Won't you join me?  

God, I am yours.  You have chosen to place me in this path, and I am thankful - thankful for Your provision and Your placement.  You know best, Father, and I surrender to Your will with gratitude and excitement.  I love You.