Jesus solid foundation to weather storms in life

When I was a child and our family lived in Kansas City, Mother often took Susie and me into the city to explore museums or shop at Macy’s. Those excursions were recreational and educational. Mother would pack a lunch and then at mealtime, we headed into the nearest Katz Drug Store where she bought us cokes at the counter. There we would eat our lunch. Downtown Kansas City was a remarkable world and Susie and I were in awe of the inner city energy and actions going on.

I remember one cold January day we headed for downtown Kansas City. The bus ride cost mother 20 cents but Susie and I rode free. Our trip this day was in search of winter coats for both Susie and me. Mother always got excited about the coat sales at Macy’s.

After about an hour bus ride into our trip, Mother pulled the cord by our window to let the bus driver know we needed off at the next stop. After he stopped the bus, Susie and I jumped off and the three of us started walking in the direction of Macy’s.

Then we noticed something new. A huge area of a city block downtown Kansas City had been boarded off while construction began on a new building. Holes had been drilled in the wooden walls partitioning off the area so all who passed by could look in and observe the construction action. Not only were there peepholes for adults, there were peepholes low enough for kids so Susie and I had a great view.

We stopped and peered through the holes. The crew had the earth torn up in the process of digging deep down to lay the foundation for the tremendous new building that was to be built. The sound of tumultuous jackhammers breaking up concrete made it impossible to hear anything else around us. Noisy machinery dominated the air and it seemed that those giant earth-moving machines just scooped up dirt effortlessly.

We took trips downtown over the next month or so and always made time to go by and peer through the holes in the fence.

Yet one of the times we were there, the project had stopped and there was no action on the erection site. The project seemed to be at a standstill.

As we stood there, Mother then mentioned to a man standing next to her about the inactivity. She thought it was a puzzle why the crews were not busy on the site.

The stranger answered. “They hit quicksand and they must find solid ground before they can build the foundation or they will be in big trouble later.”

Weeks passed and the engineers, who controlled the design and erection, directed the construction crew to dig deeper into the sand, scoop it all out and haul it away in trucks. After they dug deep enough and the sand was gone, only then would the first cement be poured and the first girders placed. Then upon that sound good earth with no quicksand and the concrete laid was that foundation built.

Jesus told the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount that people have a choice. People can build our house upon the sand but the consequences of that are serious. When the storm comes, that house will easily fall. If we build upon the rock, that is a solid foundation on principles of the kingdom of God, our house will stand.

As surely as we live here on Earth, we all will be shaken by the storms of life. But when those storms come, if we have built on the rock Jesus, we have a solid foundation.

Judy Brandon is a Clovis resident. Contact her at:

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