| Garden of the Heart |
Chapter 9 |
Page 6 |
In a building, while all rests upon the foundation, each stone becomes in turn a foundation for another stone to rest upon. Course after course is laid on the wall until the topmost stones are in their place, and each one must support the block that is laid upon it. Jesus spoke of Peter as a rock, and said that on this rock He would build His Church. It was Peter resting on Christ that Jesus meant. The apostles were the first living stones laid on the great bedrock foundation, and ever since believers on Christ have in turn become rocks on which the Church of Christ is built. Today Christ says to each one of us as we confess our faith: “Blessed art thou… and I also say unto thee that thou art a living stone, and upon this living stone I will build my church.” It is a serious thing to know that Christ will build His Church upon us. Other people trust us and follow us, other people lean on us, depend upon us. As one stone in the wall bears other stones that are laid upon it, so must we by our faithfulness, our truth, our firmness, our security, be living stones on which others may build.
It is but a little portion that is assigned to each one in God’s great building. We should do our little part so beautifully; make it so radiant, so holy, and so true, that we shall not be ashamed of it when our work is revealed at last. In Europe, long ago, a cathedral was being built. One day an old man, broken with the weight of years, came and begged to be allowed to do some work on the great building. The master architect did not suppose that the old man could do any important work because of his age and feebleness. But to please him he gave him something to do on the vaulted roof. Day by day the old man wrought there in the shadows. One evening he was missed – did not came down – and the men found him lying beside his finished work – the sculptured face of one whom he had loved long years before. When the building was completed and people came from far and near to admire it, they found this face that was so hidden in the shadows that only once a day, when the sunlight touched it, could it be seen distinctly. But the face was so beautiful that men waited for the sight of it when the light fell upon it, and then said: “this is the noblest work in all the cathedral. Love wrought this.”
We are set to do our own little piece on the great temple in which God is to have His habitation. Let us do it well. Our love for Christ should be so great, so strong, so intense that when our task is finished the world will see that we have put the face of the Master on the little stone we have been set to adorn.
“We are builders and each one
Should cut and carve as best he can’
Every life is but a stone,
Every one shall hew his own,
Make or mar, shall every man.”
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