Trust your Foundation

I had my first fight with Spain this week. The train was late for the second day in a row, by 22 minutes. I was on my way to language class and taking public transportation by myself for the first time. I hopped off the train, ran under the station to get to the other side and as I got to the top of the stairs and looked for the exit, the 10:15am bus I needed to board whisked by. I felt defeated. It didn’t help that it began to rain steadily. I knew that the buses didn’t run in 20-30 min intervals like they do back in the states. I finally found my way out of the station and walked the few minutes it took to get to the bus stop. I discovered that the next bus wasn’t expected until 4:00pm that afternoon. I still don’t have a working phone so I walked up to the nearest store to ask where I could use one to call Jade. I knew the questions to ask in Spanish but could not understand the responses of the chinese couple I first asked. I just followed in the direction their fingers pointed. When I asked the third man, and he flat out said he didn’t know I began to panic a bit. I was in a part of Spain I didn’t know very well, without a phone to contact anyone and there was nobody there who could help me figure it out. My legs felt heavy as I continued to walk down in the direction that was first pointed out to me. I spotted an older gentleman sitting at a table outside of a café reading. I walked up to him (with I’m sure a distraught expression) and said, “Escusa, necesito usar un telephono” He responded by telling me the name of a store I had never heard. I stared off in the direction he pointed and responded “uhh… no entiendo…” Then, he spoke English! It was only a few choppy words but never had English EVER sounded so beautiful.
“ Hablas Ingles?!”
“ Si, un poco”
He stood up and placed an arm around my shoulder as he pointed to the blue and white sign on a store front up ahead, and repeated the store name.“ Ahh! Si, gracias!" We exchanged names and he told me his was Tony. I thanked him again and he stepped back to bow gently “ It is my pleasure,” he said before kissing my hand and returning to his table.


(smh)Good ol' Tony, AKA sweetest man EVER.... of the hour.

I made the return trip home, got off the train and began the walk to my apartment, still feeling a little discouraged at the failed attempt. This was also my first time making this return trip. Everything in an instant looked different. I don’t know if it was the mist falling from the sky, the glistening streets or the dewy yellow and red flowers that seemed to bow from the gates as I walked by.Was this the same place? I ran directly into a street that led to the beach. There, through the framed stone archway, she danced and roared in all her glory. I exhaled and immediately felt lighter. Even on the gloomiest of days the ocean still had the ability to mesmerize and draw me in.

As I looked out on the water my eyes caught the small light tower on rocks in the middle of the Mediterranean. It stood tall and unshakable. It seemed completely unimpressed by the loud and spirited waves crashing relentlessly on the rocks at its feet. I thought to myself “Wow, it’s unshakable” my eyes drifted to the rocks that supported it and I immediately thought,“ its built on solid rock”. The light tower seemed completely confident in the foundation it stood on. Then the question came out of nowhere.

“Are you not also built on solid rock?”
"Yes ...yes I am."
“ Then you trust also, with confidence in your foundation ”
Wow...the Lord was speaking so clearly to my heart. In that moment the morning frenzy seemed so minuscule. I laughed at myself a little. I know that there will be even bigger waves in my journey here than those of this morning. As I watched the waves crashing along the rocks of the light tower, I was captivated.


I want to be like that light tower! Though the storms may come (and they will) I want to be able to hold my head high, stand unshakable and trust completely in my foundation in Christ. I want to live moment by moment, in complete awareness of the power, strength and immovability of my foundation. Though the waves may be fierce, hefty and painful; I too want be able to show my strength,not in myself but in my foundation. I want be able to stand tall, hold my head up high above the waves and stand boldly on my solid rock. On my walk back to the apartment a white and gray bird flew over my head with a branch in its mouth. I took it as Spain’s peace offering. I smiled and accepted with a now comforted heart.


“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock." Mathew 7:24-27