“Even though trouble is inevitable, collapse is not. The rising waters will create instability in your life. . . . That’s a guarantee. When they do, your foundation is either there or it is not. . . . The time for digging for the rock is now. The time to look down is now. You don’t want to build a sandcastle when the tide is rolling in.”- Alli Patterson
“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on a rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”- Luke 6:47-48 (NIV)
In Chapter 1 (“Look Down”) of How to Stay Standing, Alli Patterson begins with a story of building sandcastles with her young children. When the tide started rolling in, the crying began. Because the demise of their sandcastle was imminent. They disliked putting so much work into something that wasn’t going to last.
Thus, in Jesus’s parable, when the water rose, the rock provided the key to survival. As a result, Alli cautions:
“You know very well that the water is going to rise — or at least you could if you let yourself think about it. . . . The water is rising over the roads in your life at this very moment. The tide is coming. . . . Way too often, our first glance down to see if we’re standing on something strong is when trouble hits, and this is way too late.”
In conclusion, Alli reiterates, when the floods come, either you’re standing on the rock already — or you’re not. Most signifcantly, Jeus taught that only a life built on His Word will stand. Because even the best the world offers reaches the point where it’s not strong enough to hold you up anymore.
Today’s question: Do you sense rising waters in your life right now? Please share.
Coming Monday: the May Short Meditation. “Internal tug-of-war? Rejoice!
Tomorrow’s blog: “Speed or comfort or convenience?”
