Laying the Foundation

Have you ever watched a house being built? The first part is to lay the foundation, dig a huge hole in the ground, churn up what was previously there, smooth it out and then pour concrete to keep it that way, the way it needs to be to support the structure built on it. I guess that’s a very simplistic description. My apologies to the engineers and other professionals involved in this process!

The analogy I want to share is that this process can equate to building a family and generations to come. I often think I should be out there in the world doing more to help in Kingdom work. However, I believe the Lord was telling me today that the Kingdom work I’m doing by raising, supporting, and loving my children and grandchildren is also important and necessary Kingdom work.

This thought came after listening to the YouVersion verse of the day Video. The speaker was Lydia Laird, whom I had never heard of but enjoyed listening to and learning from today. I looked up a bit more detail on her, and she is a Christian Recording Artist, number 7 of 10 children of Missionary parents. I thought that her parents must have had a very challenging life raising ten children and doing mission work. Yet, the fruit of this faithfulness produced this beautiful young woman full of faith, sharing songs of faith with the world.

My thoughts then turned to my life. I’ve had a pretty good life, albeit a very rocky start, but sometimes it feels like I’m not accomplishing much, just surviving in this world and raising my kids to know and trust the Lord. That’s when I felt God impress upon me how important that work is and that this is exactly what He wants me to do! It’s important to be an example of a life lived in obedience and love for God to lay the foundation for my children and grandchildren to know the Lord. This will give them a firm foundation to go on to do the Kingdom work God has for them. My Kingdom Foundation work isn’t very flashy or wide-reaching, but perhaps theirs will be. Even if their purpose is simply to raise the next generation of believers, it is very comforting to think that the day-to-day grind of loving, serving, and teaching our children is not wasted.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9(NIV),

Thank you, Lord, for lifting my eyes to see purpose in my mundane today! Help me to cherish the tasks you give me and to be thankful for the purpose you have for me in laying the foundation upon which future generations can build.