Stand Through All Life Can Bring

 

It would have been so easy to miss this interesting addition to the neighborhood. The carefully constructed structure was placed in the center of the beautifully manicured lawn. The sticks which comprised the structure were of uniform size and balanced carefully against one another. Even in the brisk wind, they supported and held the other in place.

I am not sure whether this is a fairy house or a miniature teepee. But it is clear that the builder took their time. They were precise and intentional in their work. They were invested. And their intentionality made it possible for the structure to stand, to endure. What could have easily fallen victim to wind and gravity stands strong.

Our lives can be a bit like this little building. We can be intentional about investing in relationships that support a healthy life. We can take the time to develop a faith with deep roots that can sustain us in the winds and storms that will inevitably come to us all. We can be intentional about who we are and who we wish to be day after day.

The apostle writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The work we do, both the inner work in our hearts and the work we do in the world and in the lives of others, is never in vain. We may be frustrated at times. We may grow weary. We understandably will feel angry and hurt at times because life is hard and often unfair.

But such work, such a life, endures. It is always worth the effort, for ourselves and for others in our lives. In God’s grace, like the little stick house, we will stand through all life can bring.

Peace.