Foundations

Do you remember Lincoln Logs? Did they offer hours of enjoyment to you, too?

We have some. It’s part of the blessing of having a child – toys. We have toys. And sometimes the classics are classics for a reason. They are fun to play with. They let you create. There are more possibilities than you can imagine when you have a big pile of Lincoln Logs before you.

John received Lincoln Logs last year for Christmas. But they were different than the big box of Lincoln Logs I remember as a child. These had diagrams and instructions. There were people and train tracks. It wasn’t just a free for all. Every piece had a place and was well-diagramed on helpful instructions with pictures.

I was a little disappointed. I just had to follow the instructions. It wasn’t a blank slate. There were pictures on the container, and I was requested (a kind term for John’s input) to build exactly what I saw on the pictures. So I did. And WA – LA, we had four buildings, a train track – our own little dusty town of the west. The instructions worked. When I followed them, I ended up with the picture on the box.

It’s tempting to make this simple analogy to Scripture. It’s tempting to say if we just follow God’s simple instructions, WA – LA, life is good and everything turns out for the best. I think in general, the analogy holds true, but I want to focus on something a little more specific in helping our lives turn out as God desires. Note, I did not say how you or I desire. I said how God desires.

The instructions were helpful because they helped me establish a solid base for each of the different buildings I was instructed to build. The foundations were solid. I was able to put the right amount of little pieces on top of the big pieces, which enabled doorways and windows to be formed and not compromise the building’s structural support. I know I’m using big terms for some not near as handy as me, but I’ll keep it simple in the future.

The foundation matters. If you have no foundation or your foundation is weak, you are in trouble. It’s true for Lincoln Logs. It’s true for homes. It’s true for life.

What are the foundations of your life? What have you based your life on? How have they helped you (or not) weather the storms of life and the successes? (By the way, no Lincoln Log structure can weather the storm of a determined four-year old longing for destruction.)

Storms inevitably reveal the foundations. We see what matters. We see a lot about ourselves when the storms come. So do successes – how we handle success also reveals our foundations.

Someone you love dies unexpectedly – where do you turn?
You lose your job – where do you turn?
You are asked to lie to help someone out – where do you turn?
Someone praises you for a job well done – where do you turn?
You receive an unexpected financial gain – where do you turn?
You are experiencing a struggle with self-worth – where do you turn?
You are treated poorly by someone you love – where do you turn?
You are complimented for your caring personality and generosity – where do you turn?
You see again the incredible pain and suffering of others – where do you turn?

What have you based your life on? Dig deep. What are the foundations of your life? What is really holding you up?