A solid foundation can withstand mistakes

My wife and I are obsessed with home improvement. What was once a hobby has become an addiction. We watch shows that instruct us how to decorate and in some cases destroy our house. We buy tools to fuel our addiction. We look at books, magazines and attend home and garden shows. I have on more occasions than I care to remember driven down the road with pieces of crown molding, plywood and other supplies hanging out of the back of my minivan with the hatch secured by elastic cord. Every remodeling project, from hanging shelves to ripping down and rebuilding walls, is accompanied by lessons that I was never expecting.

Jesus seemed to understand the renovation craze. Speaking to a large crowd, he once told the story of two men who built their homes.

The first built a beautiful beach home overlooking the ocean. The problem was that he built it on the sand. When the inevitable rains came, the home was washed away.

The second man constructed his home with the same tranquil view. He built his home further back from shore on the rocks. When the rain that took the first man's home came, the second home stood because its foundation was on solid rock.

Your home may be decorated to be the envy of all your neighbors, but if the foundation is not firm it is just waiting to collapse. Your home, your family, your life are only as beautiful as the foundation upon which they are built.

I am self-taught when it comes to remodeling, and that has lent itself to many mistakes. During one bathroom remodeling project I had to replace a piece of wall board that had gotten wet. In placing the last screw, I ever so gently pierced the water line. The eerie hiss of Old Faithful erupted behind my new wall board. Frantically I raced through the house to shut the water off before any more damage could be been done.

Some mistakes are more obvious than others, and no one likes to admit when they have made them. No matter how good you are, you will make mistakes. Pipes will burst. Boards will be too short. Confession is easier than covering up. When called on, God will be foundation and master builder of your life.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.