Another Brick in the Patio

This is one of those weeks.  No, not one of those weeks; I mean one of those weeks that I am stuck on what to write.  Mother’s Day was Sunday, but I’ve mentioned women and moms for the past several weeks.  I met a new friend last week, but I’m not sure how to tell the story.  I had my first full Saturday at home in about six weeks and got to do some much needed work around the house and yard.  It was glorious for me, but not necessarily compelling reading. Or maybe I could write about finishing up a great concert season with the Singing Men of North Central Texas last Thursday night in Cedar Hill, but I’m not sure how to make that interesting reading either.

Maybe I’ll write about all of the above.  “You just did,” said the reader.  “Hang with me for a minute,” replied the author as the wheels began to turn. 

Part of my Saturday at home project was to build a small brick patio.  Actually, it is more of a “landing”, about 4 feet square, at the bottom of a ramp that comes down off our back porch.  When we bought this house 22 years ago, we found tons of spare construction materials piled up on the back of the property.  Mrs. Sweetie used over 1000 bricks we found to build a patio.  When we had the new Sweetie Suite built last year we had to dig up the patio, but we saved the bricks. So, I had plenty to choose from to build my little landing on Saturday.  A future planned brick project is a larger patio with a fire pit and a place for me to exercise my outdoor culinary skills. 

My brick collection has a lot of variety in size, color, and texture.  So, part of the challenge was to put the individual bricks together in some sort of pattern to create the whole. Individually, they are bricks.  Collectively, they are one “patio”.

As I consider the various stories and experiences of the past week, I realize that each one is a brick in the patio of my life.  I may not immediately see all the connections and patterns, but God is building something in me that utilizes, perhaps even requires, all the various sizes, colors, and textures.

Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

That tells me that, because I love Him and have been called by Him for His purpose, God is working in all the circumstances of my life to make me more like Jesus.  Each circumstance is a brick in the patio and each one matters to Him.

What is He building in you?