Something
to Think About – A Firm Foundation
Last month, I had the privilege of visiting some Army Engineers
at several of their job sites during some Annual Training. After visiting
almost every site on a daily basis, I came to the conclusion that it's amazing
what a difference two weeks can make.
When these soldiers arrived at one site, there was nothing more
than six telephone poles in an otherwise empty lot. As time went on, I begin to
see progress starting to take place. At first, it was just a few boards here
and there. Then, I saw a platform, and a landing, and then finally some steps.
By the time these skillful young men and women were finished, that pile of
lumber and power tools which stood before me on that first day had been
transformed into a beautiful archery tower, complete with a roof, railings, and
all of the bells and whistles.
Another one of their sites came with a giant slab of cement
poured and ready for the “50 man classroom” which came to them as a kit. Although
not every piece fit together like it should have, this group worked together to
meet deadlines and to make sure that this project would stand the test of time.
What was the common link between these two job sites which
allowed these projects to be quickly and safely completed? It was the
foundation upon which they were built. Without a firm foundation, neither one
of these groups would have finished their project, or if they did, the end
result would not have met the appropriate standards.
The principle of having a firm foundation is nothing new, and, coincidentally,
it can be applied throughout the rest of our lives as well. This principle is
discussed in Matthew 7:24-27, which tells of two men. One of them built his
house upon a firm foundation and saw it stand against the raging storm. The
other one built it upon uncertain ground. He witnessed his own creation come
crashing down around him.
Weather we are putting together a building, building a
friendship, or starting a new positive habit in our lives to replace an old one,
the foundation we lay in the beginning stages will be imperative to the end
result.
Over two weeks I was with these soldiers, I witnessed progress
both on the worksites and within the unit as well. As the physical walls went
up on the projects, many hindering barriers came down. A good example of this
is the crew which was putting together the archery tower. Its crew started off
as two distinct shifts. As time went on, however, the first shift started staying
later, and the second one began to arrive earlier.
By the time the tower was complete, these two groups had decided
that they wanted nothing more than to put their own needs aside in order to
help their fellow soldier. They realized that since they started with a good
foundation and were working towards the same goals, the more they gave to this
project… the more they received.
Make sure to build firm foundations in all aspects of your life
so that you will stand firm when the storms of life come your way.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
@DavidHTroyer
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer
