The House That Stands Firm

“God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.” - Psalm 46:5

Houses falling in the ocean

Cotton candy clouds dappling the sky

Trash littering the beach

People uniting to clean it up

The sun still rises and sets

Order and beauty amidst the chaos

A reminder that we have less control than we think

The One who orders the stars knows us by name.

He wants to order our hearts, minds, steps.

He wants to be our home.

The One who holds us up.

 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” - Matthew 7:24-27

The site of houses falling into the ocean out in front of us in Rodanthe, NC has had my mind stirring. By the end of 2024, seven houses near ours will have fallen into the ocean. That’s a lot. How could people let this happen all along the coast with so many others teetering near the edge of collapse? Couldn’t we have done something sooner to prepare for this? The answer is yes and no. Yes, if the homeowners, insurance companies, park service, and state could all work together for a common good. But that seems close to impossible. Everyone has his or her own idea on what the problem is, who to blame, and what could be done or should have been done years ago. Thus, nature continues to be more powerful and spread dangerous house shrapnel all along the coastline repeatedly. This summer it was common to go for walks and see cooking utensils, dishes, and full sets of stairs washed up along the shore.

Witnessing the event of a house falling into the ocean is astonishing, whether you had built it yourself, are a passing tourist, or come across a video online. How could something that stood strong and firm just months before, now be falling into the ocean, dishes and all? Thankfully, our house is not currently in danger. But after 20 summers out on these beaches, after all the memories we’ve made here, it is a reminder of the fragility of things. All it takes is one storm to completely change the landscape.

Proverbs 16:9 says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps". As humans, it’s our nature to dream and plan. The older we get, the more we realize our plans don’t usually work out the way we thought, so we must hold onto them loosely, learning to trust that God is ultimately in control. We can build a house on the beach, three rows back from the ocean, expecting it to stand firm forever, but thirty years later tourists may be crowded around watching it fall into the ocean. As humans, we are meant to plan and build, but ultimately we are not the decider of what lasts here on this earth. He must be the foundation for our house (our life/ our plans) to stand firm. Just like it says in Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is the “author and protector of our faith.” He wants to be the One who is not only the foundation of our faith, but the One who is building our life with us. When we live surrendered and partnered to Him, we need not fear, because He is the One who will protect and sustain what is meant to last.

"The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations". -Psalm 33:11

Jordan Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist, has said that the world is in a constant interplay between order and chaos, and that the most meaningful life is found on the border of these two forces. "If you live fully in order, nothing interesting will ever happen to you; life just repeats what you know. But if you live fully in chaos, you're at sea; you're overwhelmed, everything is falling apart, and there's too much to be able to deal with.” One doesn’t build a house in Rodanthe because it’s the safest place to build a house. It’s the town on the skinniest strip of land in Hatteras Island. Right now, sitting on our 4th floor deck, I can look straight ahead and see both the ocean and the sound in my peripheral view. No, one builds a house in Rodanthe because of the beauty and adventure of it… (and for the waves in our case). I like to think that we are living right on that line of chaos and order. 

I think a life surrendered to God is that border between order and chaos that Peterson speaks about. God is a God of order, just look at creation. The same patterns in plants and leaves are also found in the depths of the sea. He is the One who holds all things together. But He is also a God of chaos, just look at creation again. He allows what feels like chaos to bring about His will… things like battles, parting seas, choosing a teenaged girl to bring the Savior into the world.

The sight of these houses falling into the ocean are also stirring my mind because my most memorable nightmares as a child (and into young adulthood) had to do with being inside a tall house on stilts while it was falling over. (Little did I know that I would one day own a tall house on stilts that sways to and fro when the wind blows hard.) In my dreams, I can recount this feeling of falling as the floors and walls begin to slowly tip and give way… floors breaking apart and turning vertical while everyone inside begins to plummet. These nightmares most likely had to do with my family splitting up as a child and having that most basic security fall apart. Even to this day, if I am anxious, I’ll have some version of that same dream.

We all desire security. We all want to “get it right,” make good plans that succeed and do not fall or fail. God cares about us having a secure, steady home. He Himself desired a physical place to dwell…the ark of the covenant, then later a temple. But we know that the ark of the covenant could still be stolen and the temple was destroyed… twice. These earthly vessels were only for a time, until He could find his home in us… through Jesus. We are now His temple where He desires to dwell. Jesus came to dwell among us and ultimately died so that God could dwell within us. He broke into our chaos to bring about order.

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” - 1 Cor. 3:16

What a beautiful reality that God desires to make His dwelling place within us as we seek to make Him our home as well. Though we will stumble and fall and earthly homes will fall into the sea, He is our true home that never gives way. His promises are secure and last beyond any human structure or relationship. He will never fail us. He is the order and security we crave and the chaos we need. So make your home in Him and be His home as well. There is nothing more secure than that.

“How lovely is your dwelling place.”

Even the sparrow has found a home.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you.” - Psalm 84:1, 3a