Crack

You might have already figured this out, watching the things around you over the course of a lifetime....but did you know there's a good way to break?

That's not to say it's good to break things, but everything gets worn down.  When it does, there is a way it is meant to break that is least disastrous.

And yes, this is another post inspired by yet another project around the house to add to my to-do list.  In this case, it's the cinder block foundation.  All of the little pieces of mortar are starting to fall off.  All of them.  While it's kind of an ugly problem, it sounds a lot worse than it is.  Because thankfully, the mortar is only coming out of the vertical cracks.

What's the difference?

The difference is this: vertical mortar coming out is almost expected as a house ages, and it's not really a comment on structural integrity.  What holds the house together and what holds the house up is the horizontal stuff, and if that's starting to chip and crack and break away, it's a sign that the pressures in the house are shifting and you're in for a fall.  The vertical stuff is more...bug-dangerous than structure-dangerous.

I'd kind of rather it be structural.  We all know how I feel about bugs (in the house).

It's not just mortar.  About six years ago, I was talking to my dentist about a small crack developing in one of my molars.  He told me that since the crack went vertical, it wasn't anything to worry about and in fact, was very common.

Working on rehabbing the deck, I found that one of the railing posts was cracked clean through, horizontally.  But this, too, had no effect on the structural integrity of the deck or its railing.

Have you found the common thread yet?  It's not about the mortar, the tooth, or the railing; it's about the stuff around it.  In each of these cases, these materials are breaking in a way that doesn't affect what's holding them there.  It's just auxiliary stuff.  The foundation is laid in layers, not columns; it is the blocks on top of one another that keeps the integrity.  A tooth cracking from gum line to bite surface is held there by the two around it; it's not in danger of falling out because there is something still holding it together even when it looks to be falling apart.  The railing post is firmly attached at both its top and bottom, to a decking floor and a hand rail; the pressure holds it together.  So there is nothing that needs ripped out and replaced; it just needs a little love.

What is true for concrete, enamel, and wood - some pretty tough surfaces - is also true for us - some pretty tough cookies.  There is a good way for us to break.  It doesn't have to be disastrous.

It's all about knowing what holds us together when we seem to be coming apart.

For me, it's about knowing what's under me and what's on me.  That my feet stand on solid ground, holy ground.  That I know the foundation my life is built on, and that keeps me from sinking or slipping off the mold.  And knowing the anointing that is on my life, the call on my heart, the gift in my hands, the blessing in my heart, the burden for honoring all He created in me on my shoulders.

As long as I know what's holding me together, I know I can crack a little and not lose integrity.  I know that it may not be pretty, but it's not going to destroy me.  I know that it stands as an invitation to my God to come and work on me.  Not necessarily because I'm going to fall apart at any moment, but because I still look like I might.  Sometimes, even feel like I might.

But I come back to knowing what holds me together - a firm foundation and a strong anointing.  God's not about to rip me out of His plan if I show a little wear and tear, if I start to crack a little; held together by His grace, He's not about to replace me.

I just need a little love.

Do you need a little love?