Building...by Lucy

Julie reminded me yesterday that it is my turn to blog. I spend most of my days in the school so I don't have as many stories as Julie or Mark about playing with the kids. I had to think back a little to find a story. Most of our play time is spent with the younger kids who aren't afraid to ask if they can come into our home. Danny usually comes over at least once a day for a story, and sometimes David comes with him.

It was in the evening, and most of the kids were playing outside. Danny followed us from the supper table, and David wasn't far behind. Mark read a story to them (Who knows what they understood, but everyone loves a Curious George story!). Afterwards, they started horsing around (like boys will), wrestling and laughing. Before someone got hurt, we decided to get out the few blocks we have. There are fourteen blocks with which to build. It isn't much, but they don't care.



As long as you can put one on top of another, and they can knock it down, they are happy. They were trying to build things separately, taking from each other's creations as they needed blocks. What made me laugh is that they didn't care. I figured we would have a fight because they both wanted the blocks for their own creation.


Mark and I started building taller creations that they could knock over. They never got very tall before they would clatter to the tile floor and the boys would laugh.



Eventually they left the blocks to attack Mark. I think that was way more fun for them than watching the blocks fall.


Eventually after trips to the Marshall bathroom (They love to use our bathroom for some strange reason!), and some homemade bread, we walked them back down to their house. When we came back, there were the blocks scattered on the floor, not one creation intact, no building to show for all the work. Then I thought about what we had built that would last.

We may have been building with blocks, but we were really building young boys who someday will be men of God who will build up the kingdom of God! We were building relationships with them that will last far beyond anything we could build with the blocks. I was reminded that sometimes things that are hard to go through are there to build us into better children of God, ones that can stand the tests and trials of this life.

The next time you're going through something tough, remember that. Building takes time and effort and a lot of sweat and tears! But what God is building is a child of God! Allow Him to work!

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5