For the Ages
Do not remove an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.
Proverbs 22:28
Lawrence was having a revelation as he leafed through the magazine. Beautiful, well-manicured farms were showcased in this month’s issue. Two in particular stood out as his favorites, their moss-covered boundaries bringing nostalgic reminiscence.
His father had cautioned him to leave the stone fences outlining the property intact. “You’ll miss them someday if you don’t, Lawrence,” he’d said. “And an awful lot of work went into erecting them. It’d be a shame to lose ’em.”
The local stone quarry was paying good money for pallets of stone. They bought the stones because it removed the raw harvest portion from the process at the quarry, saving them machine usage and man-hours. They were more than willing to pay for stones from the fences of the countryside. The fences would always offer a quick way to make money.
Well, Lawrence hadn’t listened to his father. Constantly repairing the gaps in the rocks where livestock tried to escape had been an aggravation. The same year he inherited the farm, he began hauling away the stones. He wanted to replace the rocks with up-to-date fences. “And besides,” he told himself, “the money will help make the necessary upgrades.” The truth was, he still had to mend fences. Broken wire didn’t stop wandering animals either.
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Each generation believes it has a better plan. So we set about re-laying the foundations laid before us. And without much thought as to the why, we set our minds to the task of making it ours! In the process, we sometimes lose precious ground our forefathers labored to gain on our behalf.
Youth is wonderful, yet impetuous. We have the curiosity and desire to do great things, yet have not gained enough wisdom to temper our actions. We haven’t lived enough to understand that some things should be left alone.
Heritage is a gift to be cherished, not a slight against our character. We are to build upon the past in hopes of providing a better future. If we must make it ours, then we should do it in connection with the past, not in place of it.
Prayer
“Thank You for my heritage, Lord. Upon it, with Your guidance, we shall build a future for the ages. Amen.“
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