How Long?

My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

Psalm 6:3

How long, Lord, how long?

How long will I have to wait?

How long will you delay?

Will it be days or months, could it be years or decades?

Will it be a brief, passing moment?

Or will I have to get used to a new paradigm?

I continue to cry out to you, so I must believe that you are listening

But am I confident that you will not just listen, but answer?

That you will act on my behalf

I wonder what the tipping point of my rescue will be

Will it come suddenly, like an unexpected windfall?

Or will it be slow, barely recognisable, as the changing of seasons?

The question, how long, begins to evolve into other questions 

Why haven't you answered?

Why do you seem to help others and not me?

Am I kidding myself that you are real?

Is this all my own fault?

And the worst accusation of all, do you not care?

Will these questions cause me to give up before your help comes?

Will I have decided that the cost is too high?

Will I simply forget you and seek help elsewhere?

But for the moment, I return to the question

How long, Lord, how long?

For my soul is in deep anguish 

Truth

I speak words, but are they true?

Do they reveal an inner reality or an outward lie?

Are they expressed integrity or hidden duplicity?

Maybe the real question is not are my words true, but are they truly me?

I smile, but has the look on my face made my feelings known?

Or have my facial muscles been dragged into a game of cover up?

Is the smile an overflow of heart, or a decision of will?

Is my heart smiling or is it only my face?

The question comes as it always does, 'How are you?'

I always wonder what answer they want or expect

Do they really want a truthful response?

What will I say?

Part of me wants to simply answer as normal, 'fine thank you'

But I really want to be honest, to be vulnerable 

However, I am concerned that they will look down on me

That I will diminish in their eyes

So, the key questions that I keep dragging into my consciousness:

Who am I?

What am I doing?

What is important?

I want to be provoked to think more, to think clearer, to think deeper

To be unsatisfied with unsatisfactory answers 

To refuse to accept the unacceptable 

To be unwilling to compromise with the compromised

You desire truth in the inner parts, in my inner parts 

Not just an acknowledgment of truth but truth rooted deep within me

That overflows to be a blessing to others 

And brings glory to the King of Truth

Satisfied?

Mankind is 'the only animal whose desires increase as they are fed; the only animal that is never satisfied.' (Henry George, nineteenth century American economist)

We are the only animal, whether born or whether bred

Whose desire for satisfaction increase as we are fed

We long for real contentment, we always yearn and crave

But our longing does not satisfy, it is us that they enslave

The urges deep within us are never satisfied 

They only stop afflicting us the day when we have died

To have passion is not the problem, our focus is the key

What are we working hard to find, what is it that we see?

We seek out compensation for the challenges that we face

A little bit of happiness along the road we have to race

But joy seems but impossible, it never stays or lasts

A small measure of hopefulness in a world that seems so vast

Some realise quite early, others never seem to know

That things and stuff and goals and cash aim high but hit too low

How could our own possessions, or adverts on TV

Succeed in bringing peace and calm to any real degree?

So, seek the master's kingdom and all his righteousness 

Your hopes and dreams and all you need will be the Father's 'yes'

So, as we pursue his glory, the great exchange occurs

I lay my soul before him, on me his life confers 

Holding the future

Whatever the future holds, I know who holds the future
Whatever I will have to face, I know who has faced it before

Whatever temptations I will need to overcome, I know who has been tempted before me

He has been where I am going

He has felt what I will feel

He has heard what I will hear

He has seen what I will see

Nothing that I will have to deal with, has not already been dealt with

No challenges

No confrontations 

No demands

No threats

Have not already been experienced by the master

My way may seem dim and faintly lit to me

But is clearly visible to him

My experience may be like working with a broken sat-nav

He knows where he is going and which road to take

I can be so focused on the destination that I forget to enjoy the journey 

He lives in the moment every step of the way

I need to be still, to be quiet, to cease the constant activity

To be confident that I will be able to run my race, at the right pace and at the right time

And as I cross the finishing line hear him say 'well done"

Regret

He passed away, to no one's regret

2 Chronicles 21:20

He passed away

He ceased to breathe

His body now empty of all but flesh

The way of all the world had come his way

He had caused so much death, but now it had arrived on his doorstep 

In life as in death

Lonely and alone

No one cared

Not friend or child, not wife or lover

No one would miss him

People that had bowed at his footstool 

We're now glad that he had gone

His bucket had been truly kicked

He was dead and deadened 

He had been raised up but was now erased 

He had decreased and was now deceased 

He had gone off the rails and was now gone for good

He had no honour

No help in his affliction

No support in his misery 

He showed no remorse

No penitence

No apology

No admission of guilt

What then was his legacy?

He opposed the purpose of God

There would be no burial with the kings 

No one regretted his demise 

Fully human

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way

Hebrews 2:17

What does it mean to be fully human? Each society has to grapple with that question as it seeks to mould its various communities in an acceptable way. The answer to this question, whether explicitly or implicitly considered, will impact how societies develop. We only need to consider Nazi Germany in the thirties to realise that your view of what it is to be human can have profound and fundamental consequences.

The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus 'had' to be like us and that he was 'fully human in every way.' So, Jesus is fully God and fully human, we are not fully God, but we are fully human. There was no other option for Jesus to pursue, he became human, not for a short period but for all eternity, to fulfil his father's will

To be human is to:

• Exist in one place at one time
• Be made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc
• Be unable to cause yourself to come into existence 
• Be created from the DNA of a father and a mother
• Have various needs
• Oxygen
• Food
• Water
• Rest 
• Light
• Shelter
• Be loved by God
• Have intrinsic moral value
• Be part of a family / community
• To love and to love

To answer the question 'What is a Human Being?', has also been answered in various other ways

"An intelligence served by organs." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"But breath and shadow, nothing more." (Sophocles)

"The only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be." (William Hazlitt)

"The only animal that contemplates death, and also the only animal that shows any sign of doubt of its finality." (William Ernest Hocking)

"The only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve." (Erich Fromm)

"The only animal whose desires increase as they are fed; the only animal that is never satisfied." (Henry George)

If we want to know what it is to be human, the best way is to look at and learn from Jesus

Job

One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

Job1:13-20

The big question after all of Job's troubles was 'what would he say?' How would he respond to the calamity? What would be the overflow of his life in the midst of tragedy? The pain of loss would open his heart, what would seep out?

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,

and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 1:20,21

His response came from a humble heart, one that had been shaped by his desire to walk with God in wholehearted devotion. Job does not dance around the difficult issues; he faces them head on. His faith is not a crutch to lean on, his faith points him to a person to lean on. We all need something to lean on, something to trust in difficult times, but rather than trust our faith we are to trust God. 

Still walking with God?

I met an old friend a few days ago, we were both attending a celebration service for a mutual friend who had died suddenly. I had not seen Rob for around twenty years; then he was quite an intense character who always spoke what was on his mind. He clearly hadn't changed much in this regard, with no preamble he dived straight in, "are you still walking with God?" It was a great question, one that got right to the crux of what he wanted to know. 

I met many other old friends that day, all asked about our family, where we were living, jobs and our church situation. Only Rob raised this most important topic, it wasn't that other things were unimportant to him, but he wanted to know the answer to this burning question. As I talked with Rob, he explained some of the background to his question. In recent years a number of Christians, including some leaders who he had deeply respected and admired had given up on their faith and had walked away from the church. Rob struggled to understand how this could happen and he was concerned that I had gone down the same route 

As we discussed this phenomenon, a number of others came to mind. One had been a gifted young leader who provoked the whole church to share their faith with others, he now no longer walked with God. Another had led the church in worship as a skilled and sensitive musician, his marriage had broken up and he no longer walked with God. A third led a dynamic mission organisation in south-east Asia, he left the Christian faith and embraced other religions, he died no longer walking with God

I answered Rob's question as honestly as I could, "yes, I am still trying to follow Jesus."  I Sometimes feel I am only just hanging on by my fingertips, but I continue to try to orientate my life around his. I could see that my answer encouraged Rob, he had feared the worst, but I had been able to give him the answer that he had hoped for

Look carefully, listen closely and give attention

Look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you.

Ezekiel 44:5

Peer and view carefully 

Survey and gaze attentively 

Behold and glimpse meticulously 

Observe and watch thoroughly 

Regard and scrutinise thoughtfully 

Hear and concentrate

Give heed and tune in

Hang on his words and take notice

Lend an ear and listen 

For God is imminent and adjacent 

So, don't just look, don't just listen, give careful attention

Consider and deliberate

Contemplate and ponder

Immerse and be engrossed 

Be diligent in your thoughtfulness 

As your eyes see and your ears hear

As you allow image and sound to illuminate your mind

As you focus clearly on what is said

You will have the understanding and clarity to respond

To speak with wisdom and authority 

You cannot give out that which hasn't been taken in

You cannot describe something that you haven't seen

Or explain if you are yet to hear

But when your attention is fully given

You will see and hear more than you ever thought possible 

Theological layers

Can the various, awful terrorist events over the past years be theologically explained by 'layers?'

1. People decide to do wicked things due to the fallenness of humanity. The implications are a random cycle of pain and heartache with no real explanation 
2. God is sovereign and will 'work all things together for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.'
3. Everything that happens is according to God's great plan, which is to bring glory to himself and to display his good nature in all of creation

All of these are 'true' at different levels of understanding and different layers of revelation. We do not need to pick which one we believe and discard the others because they seem to disagree. We can trust God in the seeming contradiction of these truths, knowing that one day 'we shall know fully even as we are fully known.' (1Cor 13:12) If this verse is true then we move from knowing in part to knowing fully as we see God face to face. An understanding of God's purpose in the world comes from a deepening revelation of God himself

A Bruised Reed

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

Isaiah 42 1-4

Bruised reed, delayed shoot 

Broken branch, spoiled fruit

Trampled hope, discouraged dream

Damaged faith, low esteem 

Image cracked, false start

Blemished record, imperfect heart

Wounded feelings, clouded view

Mirror darkened; truth untrue 

Love unfounded, hopeless desire 

Prayer unanswered, burned up fire

Crushed and injured, marked and smashed

Oppressed and flawed, shattered and dashed

He will not shout or cry aloud

Or raise his voice before the crowd

A bruised reed he will not break

A smouldering wick he won't forsake 

In faithfulness he will be just

In him alone we put our trust

His kingdom now will come to birth

His peace will reign at last on earth

The Soldier

The soldier walked slowly towards the boarded-up church; the thick clouds prevented any light from illuminating the scene. There were no street lights, there hadn't been any working in that city district for many weeks. Andrei carried his rifle over his shoulder feeling the strap rub his already sore skin. He felt a deep disillusionment inside, just like the cold winter, effecting every part of him. The government had promised so much but delivered so little. The hope that had once lifted his spirit and given him a reason to live, had been replaced by a deep and bitter lethargy

And yet this slumber had been disturbed by one of the men in his barracks. His new comrade had been transferred from a rural area and the two of them had become close friends. Vaslav was a quiet, softly spoken man who had the rough hands of a farmer. But it wasn't his great size or his peasant accent that impacted Andrei, it was his indomitable and optimistic spirit. Vaslav was different than the other soldiers, everyone said so, but no one could really make out the reason why. Whenever one of the other soldiers tried to pry into his life, Vaslav would quickly and expertly turn the conversation on to another, safer topic 

Andrei wasn't sure what he would find that evening but one of his contacts had told him about the possibility of a small group of Christians meeting secretly in the crypt of the church. Once a proud structure, with its gothic architecture boasting over the city, it was now nearly derelict unable to hold its head high. Years of the state's atheistic policy had suffocated its life and now all that was left was a battered shell. He walked around the derelict building looking for a way to get inside, hidden by some low trees he found a door that had been prised open. He carefully pushed the door trying not to make any noise and stepped inside

Andrei had tried to find out more about Vaslav, he had asked the women in the admin office if she knew anything about him. All she could say was what he already knew, that he was a farmer from a small village a few miles north of the city. Andrei let the matter rest and focused on getting through each day. Keeping warm, dry and well fed were his main aims, only securing some homemade vodka from one of his contacts had a higher priority. But one night the truth began to come out. Andrei woke suddenly from a dream and lay still in his barracks bed, he glanced at Vaslav's bed and was surprised to see it empty. He climbed out of the bed and slowly crept to the bathroom at the end of corridor, his bladder felt full and needed emptying. 

He opened the bathroom door and stopped in his tracks, there sat on some low hot water pipes, with an old book in his hands, was Vaslav. His friend turned in shock and his face stared back, his eyes looking frightened. Vaslav stood up, put the book in his pocket and quickly hurried back to his bed. Over the next few days Vaslav confessed to Andrei that he was one of the secret Christians, he implored Andrei not to tell their sergeant. Believers who were discovered would often lose their job or houses or in some cases were shipped east to be 're-trained.' However, for soldiers, being found practicing a banned religion, it could lead to imprisonment and death

Andrei started to become intrigued with his friend's faith, whenever they had the opportunity Vaslav would talk about the impact that Jesus of Nazareth had on his life. He spoke and revealed an immense gratitude to God and a simple desire to live his life in harmony with his creator. Andrei began to realise that this was what his life was missing, he longed for a deep-rooted peace that would chase away the darkness that he felt. Lying in bed one night he made his decision, he knew that this could be a dangerous and costly path to take but he felt willing to face the dangers. He woke suddenly in the early hours of the next morning, he could hear heavy boots on the concrete floor and heard shouts getting louder. Six fully armed soldiers piled into the barracks and grabbed Vaslav and dragged him out into the corridor and then out into the darkness. Andrei looked around at his bewildered comrades, none of them seemed to have a clue at what was happening. Only Andrei realised what was happening, he closed his eyes and prayed silently for his friend

Andrei moved quietly across the broken floor of the church towards some steps in a corner. In the darkness of the night he could see a flickering glow of candles at the bottom of the steps and to his surprise a sound of people singing. He took his gun from his shoulder and slowly began to descend the staircase, in the dim light he struggled to find his footing. Desperate not to announce his presence he crept closer and closer to the source of the light. He glanced around a large pillar that was holding up the main floor of the building. He could see a small congregation of around ten men and women, standing with their eyes closed, some with their hands raised, quietly singing a simple song

All my heart I give to Jesus

And with joyful song proclaim

I am satisfied with you Lord

Captured by your lovely name

They sang it over and over again, Andrei was captivated. The singing was simple, the tune quite ordinary but the beauty of the atmosphere was almost overwhelming. There was no musical accompaniment, their voices were all that was needed. These people seemed to have received what Vaslav had, they didn't sing about Jesus they sang to him. 

The singing suddenly stopped as Andrei walked into the room, pointing his gun at the simple choir. "How can we help you friend?" One of the men stepped forward, his friendly face seemed to be trying to hide a fear of what might happen next. Andrei didn't respond, he looked at the simple congregation and tried to decide what he should do. How could he know if he could trust all of the group? The state had infiltrated many of these underground churches looking for people that could be useful to the cause. How could he know if one of the small group might be a spy who would report him to the state?

Finally, he spoke, his low, serious voice gave a clear command. "I am here to arrest any true believers, leave now if you are not a real Christian."  Two men and a woman looked around terrified and ran back up the stairs and were gone. Andrei laid his gun carefully in the floor and embraced the man who had spoken. With tears in his eyes he looked into the man's face and said quietly, "my family."

Flags

I won’t be here to see the flags come down

They fall on the day of departure

They stay low for a time until the gathered come to say farewell

I will still exist 

I will still breathe 

I will still think 

I will still remember 

I just won’t be here

I will be going through what everyone will face one day

My mortal body will no longer function as before 

I will have to face a new future

One chapter is finished, and my story now moves in a new direction

Many will drive-by and see the flags at half-mast and wonder who it is this time

The village has marked each death in this way for many years 

It connects life with death

Will I be able to see the flags from where I am going?

Will I have eyes that can see through time and space?

Will I know what is going on in my former community?

I do not know but I trust the one who does

I will leave behind those who understand my certainty

I will leave behind others who are not sure

I have lived my life knowing that this day would one day take place 

I have tried to be prepared

In some ways I have looked forward to this day

I will see more clearly

Understand more deeply 

Appreciate with greater clarity

And all the questions that I have longed to be answered will no longer seem important 

A God who sings

The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save

He will take great delight in you;

He will quiet you with his love

And rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

God is with us

Not only within, but among 

Not just close, but joined

Not simply present, but intimately connected 

The colossal God defending his children 

How immense is his liberation power 

The extraordinary one releasing the shackles

The mighty master who brings salvation 

But how can the immortal delight in the mortal?

How can the everlasting find joy in the never-lasting?

Is God's pleasure a response to us, or a sharing with us?

Is there anything in me in which he can delight?

But he will quiet us with his love

He will hush us with his grace

He will bring a stillness to our frantic lives

He will mute the noise battering our senses 

And then a heavenly hymn, a sacred song

Will draw all ears, attract all attentions 

Not an angelic chorus, but the creator himself

The God of heaven rejoicing in his image in man

The notes will rise and fall

The melody taking music to a place that it has never before been

The creator God using his breath and vocal cords to emit sounds

The result is a song

This song is an expression

An overflow of the heart of God 

Rejoicing being transmitted 

A present God singing over us 

Liberation

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:19-21

The wind blows and clouds form in the blue sky, below River continues its flow towards the ocean. River and Cloud look so different but are in fact made of the same material. This common formation shared between water and vapour mean that they both understand things in a similar way, they have a mutual appreciation of each other. River communicates and Cloud understands clearly, Cloud has felt this same yearning for as long as it could remember.  They both know that their existence, whilst beautiful in so many ways, is not yet as the Originator intended. Deep within them both, is the promise that one day they will be joyously liberated into a new way of existing

River and Cloud don't know how they know, but they do. They have never had eyes so cannot see, no ears so cannot hear. Yet somehow, ever since the Originator first created them, they knew of the liberation promise. For millennia they have known what it is to decay, they understand that their molecular structure is corroding and crumbling. The destructive power of the universe in which they exist is causing them to degrade inside. How long they can continue in this vein they do not know, although frustrating, they have learned to wait. Their very being is focused on the Originator, eagerly anticipating his culmination plan

It was the Originator's plan to leave River and Cloud, and the rest of creation, in a state of unfulfillment. Not because he didn't care but because he saw a better way. This was a mark of supreme self-sacrifice, to hold all of creation in bondage until the magnificent liberty that was to come. The Originator would bring forth the mortal kind, his mortal kind, at the cost of his son. The result of this sublime and monstrous act would be the glorious freedom of mortal and formation. Daughter and Son joining with River and Cloud, Mountain and Bird, Rock and Galaxy, Flower and Sun all celebrating the wonder of the new creation

River and Cloud would face the future together. They did not know when the promise would be fulfilled, but they had confidence in the Originator. He had made them a commitment and they believed he could be trusted. So, River continued flowing to the sea and Cloud was blown around in the sky before releasing its water onto the earth. Both accepting their frustration, knowing that the liberation promise would one day change everything 

The Father's Heart

The Father's heart, the Father's heart

I long to know the Father's heart

For I am his and he is mine

A life of hope he will define

The Father's word, the Father's word

I long to hear the Father's word

To listen well and know his voice

Obey his sound, I've made my choice

The Father's strength, the Father's strength 

I long to have the Father's strength

His grace ensures that I belong

When I am weak, then I am strong

The Father's mind, the Father's mind

I long to grasp the Father's mind

The wisdom shown by God on high

He always knows when, how and why

The Father's life, the Father's life

I long to live the Father's life

We all will fully see one day

Then bow the knee and simply say

The Father's heart, the Father's heart

I long to know the Father's heart

The Father's heart, the Father's heart

I long to know the Father's heart

I'm a Twerp

I'm a twerp, I'm a twit

I'm a fool, I'm a nit

I'm a dork, I'm a fool

I'm a dunce, I'm not cool

I'm a clown, I'm a clod

I'm an oaf, I'm quite odd

I'm a nerd, I can't cope

I'm a goon, I'm a dope

I'm a stupid, moron, brain dead

I'm a cretin, numskull, bonehead

I'm a buffoon, dumbbell, dimwit

I'm a looser, bruiser, halfwit

I try all I can but it's futile 

And often I get things so wrong

But God's power is made perfect in weakness

And I know when I'm weak I am strong

Auschwitz

Over twelve years ago a work colleague and I were driving through Poland, when we popped into Auschwitz, the former concentration camp for a look round. The fact that we could 'pop' in to the sight of one of the ugliest chapters in human history seems rather strange in itself. We wondered sound the huts, looked at the gas chambers, most of the time my colleague was speaking on his mobile trying to clinch a deal to sell soft drinks to someone or other. 

The ordinariness of a mobile phone conversation in the context of an extermination camp seemed bazaar to say the least. The most poignant moment for me was to see a display board with a photograph of, soon to be gassed Jews, disembarking from a railway carriage onto a platform. There in front of us was the very platform where they had stood

My colleague Slavomir, who was Polish, had a different perspective on Auschwitz than I did. I found it hard to know how to respond, how to act, wanting to behave 'properly' in this concentration camp. Slavomir continued to be the person that he was, not trying to fit in with others' expectation, but carrying on his normal life in this abnormal place

Work

If there is a protestant work ethic, is there a catholic shirk effort?

The Rain Came

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:24-29

He was so blessed that he had such a beautiful family, how could he now face the prospect of losing his youngest daughter to cancer? The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

Many people responded to the minister as he preached the Gospel, but their new-found faith did not last and they gradually slipped away. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

He made his debut at age seventeen, one of the brightest prospects around. His career was put on hold when he suffered a serious leg injury. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

A man approaching retirement sees the financial crash have such an impact on his future income that he has to continue working for the foreseeable future. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

A woman looking to the future with the man she loves, is suddenly told that he is leaving her. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

Needing three A's to get into her first-choice university, she opens the envelop with not an A in sight. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

Less than a week before they would exchange contract on their dream home, the solicitor rings to say that the purchase has fallen through. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

Their son sits down to tell his parents that he has racked up thousands of pounds worth of debt through online gambling. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

Half way through college, she started a tech company that found a niche in the market. Within five years she was a multi-millionaire before the dot com bubble burst. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house

The rain will always come, there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Having good foundations or bad does not change the reality that the rain will come. The clouds do not move across the sky looking for buildings built on poor foundations. They do not hold back their rain when the see good foundations established. The clouds are arbitrary, the rain will fall where it falls. As has been said, there is nothing you can do to prevent the rain, but there is everything you can do to prepare for it. It is too late to think of your foundations when the storm starts to break, nothing can be done. 

The time to think about foundations is before the beginning of the construction. Foundations are by their very nature, below ground. They cannot be seen from far away, they are not considered in the same way as the rest of the building. Other parts of the building are treated in various ways to be more appealing. They are painted, tiled, plastered, whilst the foundations are purely functional. For any building to remain through the storm, it will require a good foundation 

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.