A guest post from Rich Dixon.

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Back in the day, I learned a bit about pouring and finishing concrete.

I don’t miss it. I appreciated the skill and didn’t mind the hard labor, but I often became impatient with the preparation.

Though it might take just a few hours to smooth and finish the final product, a quality job required many more hours compacting the underlying soil, spreading gravel, and installing solid forms.

The prep work was mostly hidden, so no one would notice foolish shortcuts. You could pour concrete on loose soil and the final job would look great for a few months. No problem, until it rained or snowed, the ground shifted, and the cracks appeared.

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Jesus told a story about a wise builder who built his house on rock and another who built on sand. When the storm came, the outcomes were predictably different.

The point, though, is that the storm came equally to both men.Same rain, same flood, same winds. Quality building practices didn’t prevent the turmoil, but they impacted the outcome.

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I want to pretend that following Jesus will insulate me and my loved ones. When I experience life’s inevitable volatility, it’s tempting to be angry at Jesus for breaking promises He never made.

It’s also tempting to give up, to think we’re doomed because once the rain begins it’s too late to repair the foundation. But that’s where the building metaphor falls apart.

With Jesus, there’s no such thing as “too late.”

It’s always the right time to begin a conversation, to let Him know the storm’s a scary place. Seemingly solid soil is suddenly a quagmire of uncertainty.

“Jesus, I want to stand, but right now everything around me feels like sinking sand. Please help me find firm footing in your love.”

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For this week, Giving A Life Meaning: How to lead funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life is on sale for $.99 on Kindle. If you’ve been curious or know someone who could use it, I’d be grateful if you’d mention it.