choose one

The wise mad built his house upon the rock,

and the rains came tumbling down.

The rain came down

and the floods came up,

but the house on the rock stood firm.

___

Today, I am splish-splashing around Albany Park in my oh-so-colorful rain boots enjoying, and melting into, the rainy day that has become. 

Days like this provoke an equally excited and melancholy response in the deepest corners of my soul.

I'm thoroughly enthused by the sound of rain hitting my window, cars driving through puddles and the absence of voices due to everyone being tucked away in their homes, probably snuggling, or so I would like to assume.

I wish there were "rain days" in real life such as were "snow days" in elementary, middle and high school life.

In the Harb we would have "snow days" all of the time due to our total lack of preparation when it came to winter. It's so incredibly hilly there that if we had even 1/4 inch of snow, the buses could not run and we would get to stay home, cozied up by the fire, livin' the dream.

Even better than that was when we would get a "two hour delay" because they knew that the 1/4 inch of snow would shortly melt. On those days we were allotted a lazy morning but did not have to make up the lack of days come the end of the semester. 

How wonderful would life be if on these stormy days the world said, "Let's take a two hour delay. Enjoy your coffee, wool socks, fluffy blankets, and mental health."? 

___

Mental health.

What even is that?

Does it exist in the real world?

Or is mental health just as fanciful as receiving textbooks on time, having Beyonce as president, liking spinach, or being able to run a 6 minute mile?

The rains came down.

I recently saw this diagram and it made me laugh,

then frown because...

accurate.

Being the perfectionist that I am, an even more accurate statement would be

"choose one."

A snarky commentary posted this image to describe the actual college life.

"Choose two" to succeed but really "choose one" to excel when the reality is that you have 1,639 categories from which none can flourish as a result of the ever constricting element of time.

The floods come up.

___

What am I building my house upon?

I ask myself this question often.

But I rarely do anything about about the reality of my response.

___

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

and the rains came tumbling down.

The rain came down

and the floods came up.

,and the house on the sand fell flat. 

___

I would love to say, undoubtedly, that I build my house on the Rock.

"Rock" being Jesus, not Dwayne Johnson, in case you were confused.

Yeah, totally, Jesus is my foundation.

Everything I do in life is rooted in Him.

I give Him glory through my studies.

I center Him in my work.

My relationships revolve around Him.

The way I use my "free time" stems from what is holy and good.

I walk humbly, love mercy, and am active in pursuing justice.

I mean... it would be super cool if that was true.

But it's not.

___

Recently I was totally convicted regarding my priorities.

Pastor Judy has challenged me to memorize 2 Peter 1-13.

So, I have a laminated, bookmark shaped, copy of the verses in my Bible.

The other day I grabbed my Bible to work on the verses when I caught myself thinking.

"Man, I should put this in my planner so that I look at it more often throughout the day."

Good job, Kayla.

Maybe you should just look at your Bible more.

Maybe you should build your house there, not in your own plans.

Get your house out of the sand, and steady on that rock, or you'll be washed away. 

___

This semester is uncomfortably hectic.

My mental, and spiritual, health are too often put on the back burner.

I am so quick to justify studying till three in the morning but not at all down to take 20 minutes to go on a walk with God.

Saying is one thing, 

but doing is another.

Calling out issues does nothing if not acted upon in a manner of change.

___

So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ

and the blessings will come down.

The blessings will come down

as your prayers go up,

so build your life on the Lord. 

Let's take a two hour mental health break.

World, would you like to join me?

There will be nutella, veggie straws, Christmas lights, Hilary Duff's "Come Clean", and most importantly, the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, personal, loving God, that is Jesus Christ our Savior.

This is how a house begins to be built 

on the Rock.