The Master Builder

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat –

For he grants sleep to those he loves.

The sounds of summer have given way to the murmurs of fall, the shouts of kids enjoying the sun replaced by quiet steady rainfall while they are in school. In this moment I realize that a year has come full circle. The sounds of hammers and air compressors have given way to the quiet hum of a refrigerator in a new kitchen, the buzz of saws replaced by a peaceful minute to reflect.

building…

Our project nears completion. A year ago, brambles scratched our legs as we looked over a building site. Today we walk down a poured concrete drive, up the porch steps and enter a beautiful front door. Many hours measuring, cutting, holding, nailing, staining, and sanding show up in warm floors and cozy walls. But a year of building yields more than a house.

With each friend who stopped by to lend a hand for a day, God was building friendship and community into our lives. With each construction loan payment, God was building our trust in his provision. We had learned to see his provision through a missionary paycheck, but now his provision comes from so many sources, food from a friend’s garden, hand-me-downs from a cousin, a mechanic who keeps our cars running without charging us. With the completion of a new mailbox and numbers on our house, God was building a sense of rootedness and belonging for this family of wanderers. With looming deadlines, God was building perseverance and patience into our character.

guarding…

In our little town, our doors are always open, but that doesn’t mean we’re not watching out. This move to small town USA has been all about guarding our family. In fact, as a pastor’s family, guardianship is a key part of shepherding our church family as well. So we as parents stand guard as we watch what media enters our home and as we discuss the concepts that come home in public school textbooks. We stand guard over our church family as we pray for them, learn to know their hearts, teach and encourage them. We even try to stand guard over our own hearts because we are all prone to wander.

sleeping…

Building and guarding a family, building and guarding a church family requires many hours. These hours are not spent measuring, cutting, nailing, and staining, but praying, listening, learning, and guiding. We often rise early or stay up late, toiling for sustenance that will nourish us and strengthen us to live well. But isn’t it good to know that these efforts are not in vain because “while they sleep” the Master Builder and Watchman “provides for those he loves.”