11 February 2010
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―Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it…‖ Psalm 127:1 
What does it look like when the Lord is building a house out of our lives? What does it look like when our labor is in vain? This past year we spent most of our time and energy building a house. The process really began over 5 years ago
with the purchase of rural property.It took five years and many improvements to get the needed approval from the Parish to build a house. There have been many, many decisions that have gone into the purchase and preparing of the land, into the structure and design of the house, and into the systems and finishes. It has been a true test of diligence and character.
Having walked through the process of building a physical house, I have really thought more on that verse above and asked God to apply it to my life as a Christian. There is a house being built of my life. Is the Lord my builder? Will I submit to His authority and expertise? Have I allowed my Builder permission to do the necessary clearing and improvements to the site so that a strong house can be built? What about the foundation? When comparing two houses it is often hard to see differences in the foundations or in the soil beneath. Am I willing to pay the high costs associated with the Builder mucking out the bad dirt and backfilling in the good? Will I allow Him to lay a strong foundation that can withstand the sand and mud that is present all around? What about all those finishes that seem to take so long to complete? Will I persevere as bricks are laid one at a time—one on top of another? Will I remain faithful and trusting of my Builder when the process seems long and hard? When it is all said and done will my home be a place filled with beauty—reflecting the Builder and His character?
I want to encourage you to purpose that the Lord be the builder of your life. Allow the hard, dirty and often painful work to be done. Trust Him to be your foundation. Root yourself in Him and His word. Be an unmovable structure for His glory. When bricks are laid one at a time it seems as if nothing will ever come of it, but eventually what was once a pile of bricks becomes a beautiful part of the structure. Allow that brickwork to be done in your own life as you plan, cook, serve and clean up a meal to only find it is time to start over again. Trust that the Builder’s hands are all over the bricks being laid in your life—bricks of rocking or nursing a baby, wiping a nose, settling a quarrel, teaching math facts, discipling children, navigating college choices, serving your husband etc.
―Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it…‖ My prayer is that daily you and I choose the Lord to be our builder and that we recognize His hands on the bricks of our lives. I pray that what emerges is a structure that reflects His beauty—His Character.
Jennifer and Aaron Bradley, Vice Chairman
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