This is weighing heavy on my mind today.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the bed-rock. 25 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bedrock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck against that house. And it fell, and the falling of it was great”.
Sometimes the houses we build are the countries we live in and the ideologies that were used to form the governments to which we are loyal. Governments some of us swore oaths to because we were willing to lay down our lives for ideas like freedom, liberty, and equality. Ideas that we believe are for all people no matter their color, sex, sexuality, creed, religion, or age. Nothing should be a measure of a person by which these unalienable rights are denied. And yet there are those who come into power and authority, who believe that these rights are not of the Creator and can be taken away, denied, or not applicable to certain people. We see the sand crumbling beneath our feet and can only cry out.
Sometimes the houses we build are tangible parts of our lives that we take for granted until we realize they are made of sand and we see the approaching rain.
Mark 12:17 And Jesus said to them, “Give back the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God”.
If we give our hearts over to God and focus on loving our neighbors and our enemies, we will be ok in the end, but we must not lose our faith in the storms and valleys.