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<<First Name>>
It was one of the very first homes built in town. When we bought it, we were told the pipes had burst and we were going to have all kinds of problems. But being a carpenter my grandfather saw something else - the foundation was solid, the bones were good, and there was a lot he could do to bring that old house back to life.
I’ve always loved older homes like the one I grew up in. I admire the architecture and woodwork. I love the unique features and built-ins. So when Melissa and I started looking for our first home, I started dreaming of buying one of these unique homes. We looked at a few, but it turns out they were not the homes for us.
I remember walking through one house and catching my foot on the kitchen floor because there was such a significant dip. Another home was stunning, that is until we went into the basement and could see daylight coming in through the corner of the foundation. And then there was one in which I noticed a crack in one of the bedrooms, which corresponded with one in the living room below, which I traced all the way down to he basement, where I discovered the wall was bowing in. I realized, it didn’t matter how many times I filled in that crack, it would always reappear until the foundation was fixed.
Do you have a crack like that in your relationship? Maybe it is one you have taken care of before, only to discover it keeps reappearing? It becomes discouraging doesn’t it. In fact it can leave us feeling hopeless, wondering if things will ever change. But throwing a little mud on the surface to smooth things over wont last. That is because the problem cannot be fixed on the surface alone. Sometimes we need to go deeper, addressing the issues in our foundation so we can make the repair we need.
In those moments we feel most discouraged in our relationships, it is important for us to return to our foundation. In their book Love and War, John and Staci Eldridge remind us our faith in God is the key foundation to our relationships. They write, “Asking for your marriage to flourish without God is like asking a tree to blossom without sunshine and water” - (John & Stasi Eldridge, Love & War, p 18).
People will disappoint us. But our faith in God sustains us. God’s love is to be our example of love for our relationships, because it is God’s grace that nurtures the relationships that flourish. When we understand just how much God has loved us, and the grace God has given us, we in turn can share that grace and love with others and ourselves. Join us this Sunday as we share the keys to a solid foundation and strong bones to any relationship. Because if we ignore the foundation, the cracks will reappear.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Gordon
PS. Don't forget to join us for worship: Register for worship here!
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