Walls Broken and Burned

Bonney boys pausing for a photo April 2, 2019

While spending time with my Mom this morning, we looked out her window over to the farm and saw an exciting sight, walls being erected. Just over four years ago the family watched the barn burn to the ground.  A couple of years ago, the basement walls and floor were restored. Now things were once again taking shape and a replacement barn was happening!  Mom and I just had to go closer by car and celebrate God’s enablement to rebuild the barn.  

This event triggered another memory from almost 10 years ago while still in the Philippines, the morning that God stirred my heart about being available for a change…Uganda. It happened as I was reading Isaiah 58:

“Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”  Isa.58:12

As we look back now on our five years in Uganda, we thank God for the privilege of helping produce a tool to help Ugandans rebuild young lives through the teaching of godly values in school classrooms.  We continue to pray that God’s Spirit will use His Word to speak to many students and teachers alike in Uganda and beyond. 

My brothers’ & nephews' example this morning reminds me that rebuilding broken structures is hard work, sometimes must be done in less-than-ideal weather, and cannot be done alone.  As the family looks forward to a firm structure that will bring shelter and blessing, we as believers must be engaged in the hard work of building into the lives of those around us so that others too can know the place of eternal shelter, our Lord Jesus Christ. May the building of a barn remind us to pray for God’s work of restoration and transformation in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

And up it goes!

2 sides up!

The view from the road.