I
am an eighteen year old brick.
Those who built on the wall, and
those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked
at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders
had his sword girded at his side as he built. – (Nehemiah 4:17-18)
When the Israelites were taken into captivity, the
walls of Jeruselem were thrown down.
When they returned, Nehemiah and the leaders of the Israelites desired
to rebuild the walls, but they encountered fierce opposition from Sanballat and
his minions.
This
passage from Nehemiah plays an important part in New Saint Andrews’ mission. New Saint Andrews is where I will be
attending school this coming fall, and I couldn’t be more excited. It is a place that aspires to shape and mold
young men and women into master-builders and crafters. Christians have this mission to rebuild
culture and to inspire others with the Hope of Christ. Our Jerusalem is this world, and its walls
are in need of repair. I desire to not
only help fill the gaps and rebuild the wall, but to build it up in a way that
reflects Him.
Not
only are we inspired builders, but we are a wall that is being built up from
the ashes by the ultimate Builder. We
are bricks that make up the church, not a Pink Floyd brick. We were designed
with a purpose. We are bricks that were
molded and shaped by a Creator that has a Plan.
We are not just another brick in the wall, we are participants in a
living, breathing wall. This wall is
made up of many different bricks of all sizes and colors, and it looks like
chaos from the outside, but they work in concert because of the Love that
connects them.
But,
even though I know all of this, I have caught myself many times impatient with
His Plan. It is easy to feel this way, whether
it be at work, at school, on a team, or anywhere. Sometimes I don’t feel like I am making much
progress.
This
year, in Humanities, we read a book called Citizen
Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose. It is a
historical account recounting the battles and strategy of World War II;
starting with the invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces. At the outset, the soldiers of almost every
division were eager to commence the invasion, but one month later, when they
were stuck in the hedgerows of Normandy, the men on the front-lines were
disheartened, to say the least. They
could only see what was right in front of them: hedges upon hedges that stood
nearly six feet tall, but which were planted on three foot mounds, so they
could not see over or through them. But as
soon as they were able to find a gap in the hedges, they were met with enemy
fire. Whether it was grenades,
small-arms fire, sub-machine gun fire, or tank fire you imagine it, they
probably had to endure it. It was a veritable
hell on earth, having to endure the uncertainty, wondering if the next step
around this corner would be your last.
They
were disheartened because they couldn’t see the overall plan.
And
this brings us back to the brick analogy.
Without a plan, a single brick has one use, a door-stop. It doesn’t get much done. It is borderline purposeless. But it doesn’t have to be alone to not do anything. Someone could pick up a brick and throw it
onto a pile of other bricks. Before
this, we called it a brick. Now, what do
we call it? A pile of bricks.
Exactly. It’s
still not doing anything.
Although,
you do have a lot of door stops now.
But,
when someone comes along with a plan, a purpose, and starts stacking a brick on
top of a brick on top of a brick, and so on, it begins to form something. It begins to take shape. It’s easy to feel pessimistic and discouraged
when it doesn’t seem like anything is going to get better. What is God’s plan, we constantly ask? What is God’s will for me? It’s very simple. It’s right now. It’s happening right now, in this very room,
at this very moment, and it is sitting at the table with you. It is the time He has given you to be
productive with, it is the gifts that he has given you to impact the lives of others,
it is the people in your life. Your
purpose in life is to work and excel at what is put before you and enjoy Him.
"Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink,
and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of
God. For who can eat, or who can have
enjoyment without Him." - Ecclesiastes 2: 24-25
This mission of believers
may seem like it creeps by, and it may seem that we are barely making headway,
but the advantage that we have over the private huddled against a hedgerow in
Normandy on a blustery night, is that we know the plan. We know what the end result is, and that is what
gives us confidence and comfort.
I picked New Saint
Andrews because it was a natural choice.
It builds on the foundation that has been laid, especially in the past
four years. When my parents decided to
homeschool my two sisters and I back in 2005, they did so with the classical
education model in mind. But first and
foremost, their goal was to raise us in the ways of the Lord, and what better
way than to do it themselves? They
wanted to be the ones to sharpen their arrows that would be shot from the
quivering bow into the gathering darkness. And I am thankful that they made this
decision. My parents have made tough
decisions and stuck to them, even if it did seem odd and unusual at the
time. When we joined the army, almost
ten years ago, they took us on an adventure that I will never forget. My siblings and I have walked parts of the
world that we had only dreamt of.
Thank you, Dad, for
taking risks and not playing it safe. For
being the father every son wants to have.
Our culture today is crying out for fathers, even if they don’t realize that
they have that need. I thank the Lord
that I’ve never had a moment’s doubt about how blessed I am. You were and are my coach, teacher, mentor,
father, and confidant. I may have heroes
that I look up to in books and movies, and celebrities that I admire, but none
of them will ever come close to you.
Thank you, Mom, for
everything. I cannot count the times
when I would be confused about a girl or how their emotions worked, and even
though I don’t claim to know them even now, you were there to clear things
up. I apologize for the amount of times
that I complained about there not being much food in the fridge on grocery day,
I guess my only excuse is what an amazing cook you are. When I get married to the woman that the Lord
intends for me, whenever that may be, I will know what to look for, because I
see how you and Dad interact. I cannot
believe I have been so blessed with parents such as you two.
Micaiah, thanks for being
the over protective sister. You’ve
imparted so much wisdom from perfecting the art of stealing balloons to
swing-dancing. You were the natural
leader of the five of us.
Abi, thank you for being
my partner in crime. From stubbornly
following me over cliffs to getting into situations that I could pull the scary,
older brother card. That truly is a
pleasure, even if you may not enjoy it at times. Thank you for keeping me awake after a long day
of work on the long drive home.
Brother Bear, thank you
for adventures. When you came along dad
said that it would be amazing when you grew older and the three of us could go
on adventures together. I really can’t
believe how time flies, and will miss playing ball with you and watching you
grow up.
Belle, baby Belle, thank
you for making every single day a new experience. From a baby to a toddler and on, watching you
explore life reminds us how the simple things are beautiful.
Thank you to everyone who
is in the room, and those who couldn’t make it.
Without all of your support, this would have been a much different chapter
in my life. We move around a lot, and we
have been blessed with an amazing community and family at every station.
Thank you one and
all. I cannot wait for the next chapter
in this story.
I am just an eighteen
year old brick with a purpose.+
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