I was reading today and came across this sentence that I lingered over for quite a while. It struck a pondering chord deep within my soul actually. It was this: “The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones.” It got me to thinking about the reality of that thought. Bricks are an okay building material – they are generally uniform and easy to work with. Another plus? We can alter their appearance at will. They are easy to maneuver, stockpile and apply. They appear to be sturdy at first blush ~ likely, but upon further inspection we note that they are not all that they seem. They are constructed with tiny grains of sand – the tiniest fragments of stone that there is. To a microscope they are majestic ~ but in reality, they can flake apart and weather away bit by bit. Seemingly imperceptible, but erode away they do almost from the very beginning of their lifespan. A far greater building material is a solid piece of stone. Stronger, less flaws, better for foundations, more pleasing to the eye, longer lasting – that is a hewn stone. Stones are built tough Mother Nature style. Durable, purposeful. A masterpiece really. Much more difficult to obtain, to work with. How does this apply to us? Sometimes we settle. We settle for what is easy, what looks good for the onlookers in to our lives. We use the lesser quality things perhaps out of necessity or maybe it is out of trying to pull a fast one in our fast-paced lives. Sure, bricks look good. Tidy. Uniform. Looks like everyone else. But stones are heavier, tougher to wrestle into place. Stones are permanent. Sculptors favor them for their long-lasting works of art. But isn’t that what we hope our lives wind up being? Lasting works of art that inspire others to be better, live better, strive forward despite the daunting odds that face them? What are the stones in your life? Is it your family? Your character? Your habits? Your goals? Which of these life builders ~ bricks or stones ~ which one endures greater stress, has better longevity, is more desired? Stone. Rock solid.