Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49) (01/18/24)
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TITLE: Upon This Rock | Previous Challenge Entry
By Debra Brand
01/22/24 -
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Located downtown in the city, our church stood on the flats near the river. We purchased it right after the 100-year flood of 2006. One of the main questions about flooding was answered by pictures near the building showing no water.
Erected in the early 1920s, the building served as a community center for the adjoining synagogue. In the 50’s, the necessary demolition of the synagogue made way for a new highway system. That left the community center used as a homeless refuge, childcare facility, and then our church in 2007.
The block building has a concrete slab foundation. We needed to bring the building up to current standards with new carpeting, painting, replacement doors and windows, entrances to be secured and so much more. Our congregation grew and the presence of the Holy Spirit encouraged our vision.
As daylight broke through the gray rain-filled clouds, our worst fears came true. The entire neighborhood of our church flooded. Aerial pictures appeared on the news channels showing only the roofs of our building and vehicles. Seven feet of river water covered everything.
By Friday we were allowed to drive through the mud-laden streets to get to our church. Massive devastation overwhelmed us. The glass front door system had been pushed aside by the pressure of the log-infested brown waters. Mud covered the interior three-quarters up the walls. Doors were swollen shut, our baby grand piano flipped upside down. And the noise … the shrieking terror of the alarm system couldn’t be silenced until our pastor knocked it off the wall with a sledgehammer.
There were many tears and despair weighed heavily as we surveyed the damages in the offices and classrooms. Even a little Beta fish on my office desk had disappeared.
In the pastor’s office, his filled bookcase, weighted with soggy hard-covered books, tipped over pinning his guitars under the water. His desk had floated and then came down on an angle. The exposed top corner held his preaching Bible … completely dry and untouched!
With God on our minds and hearts, we began a three-month round-the-clock restoration. I am the Treasurer so the back of my SUV became my office for early morning updates on finances and organizing the work to be done. Our savings account remained at a substantial level because of the many outside contributions to our plight. We were able to continue our responsibilities to the various ministries we supported around the globe as well as finance the rebuild. God is good.
After many hours of toil, mud, paint, and cleaning we were ready to have our Christmas Eve service in the carpet-less Sanctuary while sitting on rented folding chairs. A donated 15-foot Christmas tree became the only decoration that night. Our worship like no other night filled the air with thankfulness. God blessed us with His Presence.
We were able to rebuild because the original builders had used proper materials to ensure the structure would last. The wind blew, the rain pounded, the waters rose and still, the enemy did not defeat us.
Upon this solid Rock, we stand.
Non-fiction
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