Since I have been back at my old home church (now my new home church... LOL), FBC Lutz, I have really thought a lot about foundations. A foundation is the lowest part of a building structure. Everything starts there, and a good foundation is essential to the survival of any building. Briefly returning to the subject of church, some of the people I met at FBC Lutz years ago when I was just a kid are still there, and I am realizing more and more what a debt I owe them. There are two types of building foundations- shallow and deep. Shallow foundations are common to houses, but the really big buildings, like skyscrapers, use deep foundations. These deep foundations are very costly compared to shallow ones, however they give the ability to support structures far greater. The Bible talks about being "rooted," because the "base" of all things is the most critical part. Without a firm foundation, without deep roots, this life could tear us down. I have some friends who once told me about when they built their first home. As the foundation was laid, they wrote their names, their wedding date, and a few scriptures into the wet cement. I think about that house, many years since completed, and how their names are written there, where no one will ever see them. But they built that home from the ground up, and they know their names are there. It makes me think about my own spiritual foundation, and the names that are written there, which cannot be seen. And this is what has been on my mind for weeks now, as I spend more and more time in this church and with these people. I didn't know it at the time, but they were pouring my foundation. There have been many days, over the last 25 years or so since I first stepped foot into the youth building at FBC Lutz, when hurricanes, floods, and hail storms have nearly torn me down. Bullies in school, suicidal periods, despair, the betrayal of friends, divorce, the death of loved ones- all of these have threatened to destroy me at one point or another, but I survived it all. My foundation is strong, and although the building did not always look pretty on the outside, I have remained. And here is why: If you could see underneath everything, and look closely all the way to the deepest part of me, you would notice many names written on my foundation. Among these countless names, you would find especially the following: Jerry Haynam, Lynda and Herb Brown, Bob and Jonnie Ownbey, Ken and Patsy James, Lisa Jones, Kim Rives, Charles and Debi White, Larry Calhoun, Susan McKee, and Bill and Brenda Stephens. These, along with many others, shaped my life and I owe each of them a debt that simply cannot be repaid. And for what it's worth, to each of them, thank you. I know it was not easy, and some were occasionally, if not often, injured during the construction process, but I am one life (of many, no doubt) that you helped build in Christ. God bless you. Gratefully, Jennifer LeAnn
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AuthorI am passionate about world missions, specifically the country of South Africa. As an Ambassador for Living Hope Ministries in Cape Town, I am honored to serve with them in impacting their community for Christ! Archives
August 2018
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