My last little guy (who recently turned 9) has been collecting boxes. Hubby receives packages daily for work making the collection grow a rapid pace. I love my children to be creative. Nothing makes me more excited than to watch them step away from TV, gaming, and other electronics and use their imaginations to create. It also makes me a little nutty (yes, more than usual). My last little guy has been building castles, thrones, and fortresses. Ooooooh the mess. Those who know me know that I'm not a neat freak-not even close. I do, however, like to be able to walk through my living room.
We have come to an agreement of sorts. He can collect all the boxes he likes, as long as they do not remain in the middle of the living room. At the end of the day, all the boxes and blankets must be back in his room. He can build whatever he wants to in his own room. Deal? Deal.
He constructed a castle with a fortress using his bunk bed, several boxes, a pole or two (no idea where he found those) and several sheets and blankets. He had a secret passageway to enter and exit. It was cool, but it took up the majority of his room. I thought I'd let him keep it a day or two and ask him to take it down. Then I thought about how short of a time he will be a boy. I thought of how quickly the years pass by without me seeming to notice. I left it alone. He had it up for weeks.
He took it down today to help me clean and reorganize his room, but he is armed with even more boxes and blankets. I helped him collect them this time. See, he wanted to build a larger fortress, so he wanted some things cleaned and taken out of his room. I can't wait to see what the next one will look like.
As I thought about this messy process of constructing a place of refuge, I thought about a refuge that can not be built with boxes and blankets. One that instead comes from God through the death and resurrection of His own son. One that was also a messy process. One that is built right inside of my own heart.
Proverbs 14:26
Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
Yes, I do stand in awe and reverential fear of my Lord, and He is indeed a refuge for my family and me.
Boxes and blankets make a pretty good fortress. But they will one day fail as the boxes become weak and the blankets fall leaving openings in the walls. But the fortress of the Lord will never fail. Whatever may come against our walls, our hearts are covered completely by His hand.
Build away little buddy, and I pray you will come to understand more about the one who builds that fortress right inside your heart.
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April is National Poetry Month. I thought it apropos to write a little poem for my last little guy.
Building Castles
Build your castle here
Make it strong
Impenetrable
Store all that you hold dear
Inside its walls
Yes, build your castle here
Secure your fortress well
Shield your entries
Exits
Keep out creatures from hell
Scratching and clawing
Yes, secure your fortress well
A mess before completion
Taking up space
Cluttering
The room completely
Is it done
Yes, a mess before completion
A finished work well made
Secure and safe
Secret
A strong, secure blockade
From your enemies
Yes, a finished work well made
Do you feel safe inside
No more afraid
Brave
A haven where you hide
From the shadows
Tell me, do you feel safe inside
You'll be a man one day
No more boxes
Blankets
No more time to play
With pretend fortresses
Yes, you'll be a man one day
Allow God to replace
All your boxes
Blankets
Let Him take up space and
Keep you safe
Yes, Allow God to replace
Build your castle here
Inside your heart
Spirit
Store all that you hold dear
Inside its walls
Yes, build your castle here
Thanks for reading
