“Christ, the Solid Rock”
After a day of nonstop rain, watching the water accumulate in our backyard rain gauge and hearing flash flood warnings from the local TV weather people, I realized it was almost the anniversary of the Flood of 2008. A very snowy winter and subsequent melting, followed by a wet and stormy spring created volumes of water that sent the Cedar River off into places it had never been known to wander. As the waters rose, and the destruction grew greater, we heard numerous stories and examples of courage, unselfishness, and can-do attitudes. Those trapped due to high waters were rescued, huge turnouts of volunteers filled sandbags, and all along the flooded banks of the Cedar, neighbors pitched in to help whoever needed a hand. Coping with the seemingly random weather events that are part of life in the Midwest is the kind of thing most of us accept — after all, regardless of how much we talk about the weather, none of us can do anything about it. (apologies to Mark Twain) Our life experiences might be described in weather-ish terms, if we’re feeling poetic. Sometimes it’s all blue skies and sunshine, but other times the clouds roll in, the lightning flashes and the thunder cracks, and we’re helpless in the face of the storm. As we turn to one another for support, God’s Spirit brings us into fellowship and community, so that although there may be the hardest of times, we don’t face them alone. Jesus effectively taught his followers by telling stories featuring everyday examples, and their meaning continues to be clear to us all these centuries later. He described those who heard his words and acted upon them as being like the man who built his house on a foundation of rock. When the floods and the storms came, the house was not moved, but remained solidly in place. Then the Lord spoke of the man who heard his teachings but did not act as being like one who is so foolish and careless that he built his house on sand, and when the rain, the floods and the wind came, the house was destroyed. (Matthew 7:24-27) As Christ himself tells us, we are to hear his words and then act upon them. He gives us the means to build a solid foundation, as we serve others in his name, sharing the Good News of love and forgiveness in Christ. If we hear Jesus’ teachings and don’t become “doers of the word” we’re living on a shallow, unstable foundation. God’s Holy Spirit leads us to the faith built on the rock of our risen Savior, God’s own Son. This foundation will neither crumble nor collapse, but will support us as we are battered by the storms of life. We find ourselves in stormy times, tossed about and often feeling lost and without a place of safety. Psalm 46 assures us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear . . .” . It’s not that the storms don’t come. It’s that there is refuge from the storms in God’s love.
Clinging to that rock,Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
https://youtu.be/Ou7jrGmrrg0