Is our foundation solid?

Once again we see on the news that another earth quake has hit. We see the devastation that it leaves in the lives of those people. They keep saying that the quake in Chile although bigger than the one in Haiti, yet it didn't do as much damage...Why?  Because the buildings in Chile were built on a stronger foundation.

With that in mind, I would like to share a part of a lesson that brought this topic of FOUNDATIONS a bit closer to home for me.

"Many years ago I walked at dawn through the narrow cobblestone streets of Cusco, Peru, high in the Andes Mountains. I saw a man from a local indigenous group walking down one of the streets. He was not a big man physically, but he carried an immense load of firewood in a huge burlap sack on his back. The sack seemed to be as big as he was. The load must have weighed as much as he did. He steadied it with a rope that looped under the bottom of the sack and circled up around his forehead. He gripped the rope tightly on both sides of his head. He kept a rag on his forehead underneath the rope to keep it from cutting into his skin. He leaned forward under his burden and walked with deliberate, difficult steps.
The man was carrying the firewood to the marketplace, where it would be sold. In an average day he might make just two or three round-trips across the town to deliver similarly awkward, heavy loads.
The memory of him bent forward, struggling down the street has become increasingly meaningful for me with the passage of years. How long could he continue to carry such burdens?
Life presses all kinds of burdens on each of us, some light but others relentless and heavy. People struggle every day under burdens that tax their souls. Many of us struggle under such burdens. They can be emotionally or physically ponderous. They can be worrisome, oppressive, and exhausting. And they can continue for years." - L. Whitney Clayton

"Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle" 

Many of us have had feelings of overwhelmed, inadequacy and shortcomings. In order to overcome these feelings we need a deep foundation of knowledge and truth. Burdens can weigh us all down and will completely seem to make us crumble and fall unless we have a strong foundation. 

In the book of Matthew 6:33 we read...  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. "

"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. We should put God ahead of everyone else (or anything) in our lives." -Ezra Taft Benson

Why is it that we sometimes forget to check and recheck how our foundation is doing?  Life is full, fast and many times overwhelming. May we all take a moment each day to recheck if there are any cracks or weak spots in our foundation. If there are, may we then take the time we need ...to repair and fix them. Our faith needs to be rock solid in order to be ready for whatever life sends our way!

"The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid" ~ Thomas Kempis

"A life without cause is a life without effect." ~Barbarella