Don’t Build a House There

Let’s say that one day you decide to build a house. You scour Pinterest, magazines, and Instagram for ideas and inspiration, and you bombard anyone that you know that has done it before with so many questions you’re afraid they won’t take your next phone call.

Oh, you’re sooo excited!!

You find that perfect spot you want to put this dream house of yours. You consider which direction you want it facing and you obviously keep in mind if you want any close neighbors…or to not have any neighbors at all (now we’re talkin’!). Maybe you want some mature trees in your yard, and a little spot to grow a few veggies. It’s also important to you to be able to hop in your car and in 5-10 minutes be at the store for that gallon of milk or grab a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop.

There are just so many things to consider when building a house (I should have my friend Faith write this part. 😉 She’s a machine when it comes to getting a house built! Seriously!). Anywho, whether you want to build in the desert, or the mountains or in a bustling city, I think it would be safe to say that no one would consider building at the foot of an active volcano. Or in a slough or a bog. And definitely not right beside a sewage plant. Ewww.

There are just some obvious places you think of when it comes to building a house…and places that are definitely on the “don’t build a house there” list.

Now before you think I’ve changed this little space of mine here into a Building a House 101 blog let me show you where I’m going with this…

A while back we were visiting with some very dear friends of ours who had flown up to preach a meeting at our church. One day while we were sitting around the table visiting, our friend mentioned that he and his wife were helping a couple of young men in their church that were suffering from anxiety, PTSD and depression due to their time in the military. These two men were struggling through their “stuff” but making progress nonetheless. And then he said one thing…one thing that exploded in my brain, and in my heart I shouted, YES!!

He said that some folks, when they enter a time of anxiety and/or depression they just stop and they “build a house there.” They give up. They stop in that dark, gloomy place and they starting building. But what they may not realize is – the ground they are building on is not stable, it is not safe and nothing ever grows there.

Just like there are many, many places in the world that you don’t want to build a house, there are just as many “places” in your life, that you really shouldn’t build a house there.

Places like divorce, rejection and loneliness. Or abuse, loss of loved ones, or you’ve been deeply hurt…by other Christians, no less. Then there’s all the health problems and chronic illnesses that are at an all-time high, not to mention financial difficulty in our unstable world. The list goes on and on and on…

It may be a place the Lord has asked you to visit or pass through, but DON’T BUILD A HOUSE THERE.

Don’t live there.

Don’t make it your identity.

Don’t make it all you think about.

Don’t make your life revolve around it.

Don’t stay there!

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that you need to ignore those things that happened, or that you can’t struggle with things (believe me, I’ve “been there, done that” too many times to count!); just don’t stay there! Don’t build a house there.

Where is your “there?” Where are you stuck?

Where is that place that has you feeling like you’re treading peanut butter and you’ll never get out? You’re exhausted from even trying.

Where is your “there” that you feel like you’ve been for a very long time, with questions and no answers and prayers that seem to be ignored?

You feel all alone and no one cares. At all.

You’re not moving forward so you…build a house there.

And because you’re “building” you feel like you’re at least accomplishing something. It’s almost a relief really. Now you are “doing something” and there is something to “show” for all your efforts. But what you don’t realize is that the walls you’ve put up are keeping God, family, and friends out. And that big thick door? It is shutting out God’s great grace and help in your time of need. Those large windows, instead of letting in all that bright, warm sunshine, have heavy shades pulled down tight which leave the rooms dark and gloomy.

Listen to me now – stop all that hammering and wasting your energy, sweat and tears, building something that is only hurting you and those around you. We all go through hard times. But you’re not going to read your Bible and find in it directions for building a house in that dark place. Turning from God and shutting out His Word and His grace isn’t going to bring you into a beautiful, open field that is begging you to build a home there. That is for sure and for certain!

What’s that you’re asking? It’s starting to rain and you want some shelter but I’m telling you not to build a house?! Oh don’t worry. There is something you can do. Right there in your “there” where I’m telling you NOT TO BUILD A HOUSE!

Are you ready for this?

It is time to GO CAMPING!

The thought of camping usually has the idea of something you do short term. If you hear someone say they are going to go camping, it never crosses your mind that they are going to build a permanent structure, does it? The actually definition of camp is:

Camp, /kamp/ – a place with temporary accommodations of huts, tents, or other structures, typically used by soldiers, refugees, prisoners, or travellers.

Did you catch that? Camping is temporary and is “typically used by soldiers, refugees, prisoners, or travellers.” (Wow! That’s a whole other lesson all in itself, isn’t it?? Soldiers! Refugees, prisoners, travellers! Soldiers in God’s army…this world is not my home…ok Mitzi, get back on track!)

To set up camp you need to grab all that camping gear that has been gathering dust. Then you need to go put up your tent, or park that cute little camper of yours (oh. yours isn’t cute?! Hmm. we’ll talk about that another time, k?) and stay for a while; but don’t get too comfortable and please don’t build a house there! Just like the children of Israel, they put up their tents, knowing that at any time the Lord may move the cloudy pillar or pillar of fire and it would be time to move on again.

We all go through hard times (have I already said that??). We all do. We all come to a place in our lives that is so so hard and we have a decision to make: will we put up a tent or will we build a house there? Do we plan to stay there, to put up those walls; or do we put up the tent, knowing in our heart of hearts, “this too shall pass?”

I too have struggled with the overwhelming feelings of darkness and I know how easy it is to just plop myself down and stay right there. (You’ve all read to poem “Footprints in the Sand” right? Mine would definitely be the “Butt Prints in the Sand” version. Just sayin’.). It was God that has kept me from staying in those dark places. He has given me the grace to rest (camp) there for a time but then He pulled me up and kept me going. And that grace is available for you too. It’s our choice to reach out and take it; to take His outstretched hand, and get back up and keep going.

Get up, dear friend! Dust yourself off and keep walking. Keep looking to God, your only true help, and stay in His Word (remember, the entrance of His words giveth light!). Push through those dark days…those weeks…that feel like they will never, ever end. And know that I’m cheering you on!

P.S. Remember you can reach me at my email address in my contact page/tab above.