Building should come natural to us: Building each other up, building relationships, building compassion. We seem to be seeing a lot of tearing down, but that is not what we were made to do. There is so much light and goodness in this beautiful world. We have so much beauty inside of us. How are we using that beauty to build? What will you build today – personally and with your children? As Benjamin Franklin would ask himself each morning….”What good shall I do today?” and as evening came, “What good have I done today?”
We build community by serving
We build family by sharing
We build knowledge by observing
We build grace by praying
We build happiness through gratitude
We build friendship through sincerity
We build trust with honesty
We build relationships with patience
Little builds can be as effective as big builds. A kind word of encouragement, a thank you, a smile, a hug, a phone call, a pat on the back.
A day spent together on a big build may impact us for years to come. I remember taking a group of teens to a care center just a few blocks away. We spent an hour playing chess, sharing music and visiting together with the residents there. We did this for several weeks. It was a bit awkward in the beginning but by the end we had made friends with those living at the center. It made us better people.
Another time we took a large group to Mexico and spent the biggest part of a week building seats for a soccer field, painting a homeless center – talking to adults who were so very lonely. Later, when we got together to express some thoughts about our experiences, we laughed and cried for over an hour. We spoke from the heart about the touching memories we had built together, the relationships we had gained with people who started out strangers, but were now our friends. It was an incredible opportunity for all of us.
Our hearts have a desire to build. Let’s be conscious of that today and talk about building something together. It will be a good day!