By Pastor Leah Fintel Krotz, Trinity Lutheran Church, Bruning
Rick and I appreciate old barns. It's probably because his family farm down in Kansas still has a barn built by his grandfather about a hundred years ago. The barn is kind of a landmark on Highway 36, five miles east of Belleville. People will give directions by saying things like, “Turn north on the Munden road just past the big red barn.”
Rick's sister, Deb, took my favorite picture of the barn on a snowy day. A few years ago the barn suffered some wind damage, but Rick's dad decided to save it. It was quite an undertaking, especially replacing the cupola on the roof. But now that he's in heaven, it remains as a legacy of the wise and gentle man we love and miss.
Barns aren't as common as they used to be, partly because it's so difficult and expensive to repair them when wind or other damage occurs. They were designed for a way of life that is disappearing in rural America, though sometimes now they are given new life as wedding venues or farmers markets or even homes.
On a recent trip to Minneapolis for the LCMC National Gathering, Rick and I saw quite a few beautiful old barns in Iowa and Minnesota. It's amazing to think of how these huge structures were built in an era without power tools or large equipment to help. It took a lot of skill and craftsmanship and teamwork. And of course, a strong foundation.
The Bible talks quite a bit about the importance of a good foundation. When we are building our lives, no matter how strong or self-sufficient we think we are, there will come a time when, without the strong foundation of faith in Jesus, everything will crumble. Those are the times we are reminded that when we are weak, he is strong. He is the only foundation that will always remain secure, no matter what the storms of life throw our way.
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 3:11
