“THE WISE MAN BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE ROCK”

Friday, August 25, 2006

The children loved it. The teens tolerated it. And the adults smiled benignly as they looked on. Every summer Vacation Bible School brought red punch, cookies and the singing of rollicking songs like, “The rains came down and the floods came up, the rains came down and the floods came up, and the wise man’s house stood firm.” In all honesty the children’s favorite part of the song was, “And the foolish man’s house went down!” They loved the shouting, noise and drama of the falling house.

Yesterday morning I said to my wife, "I need a big breakfast I’m going to do a lot of work outside this morning.” As my wife cooked the big breakfast she said, “It looks like rain to me.” “Rain? Rain? Are you new to the area woman? It never rains here.” So outside I went. I had my tools out all over the back yard and then it happened—RAIN! LOTS OF RAIN!

You probably saw it on national television. The area flooded. People had to be pulled from cars. Flood waters come swiftly in the desert. I have always feared being seen on national television being rescued from the top of a car and being hauled into a helicopter.

I STAYED IN THE HOUSE UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED AND THE FLOOD WATERS ABATED.

This morning I said, “I need a big breakfast, I’m going out and do that work I started yesterday.” Sorry. No big breakfast this morning. You had one yesterday and didn’t do enough to earn a bowl of cereal."