“Fix the Roof While It Ain’t Raining”

Wow.

You might prefer JFK’s version of this quote, but there is so much WISDOM in this statement.

Problem solving is one of Jonathan’s strengths (which I so appreciate and admire because it’s definitely not one of mine); however, we are still all about the power of PREVENTION. It makes more sense to put in time, work, and effort to improve circumstances before the ‘rain’ comes than to chaotically try to fix it once it’s here. Obviously this is meant figuratively (literally too, of course), but the visual helps me make it more concrete in my mind. Have you ever tried fixing a roof while it’s raining? Me neither. Ha! And hope I never have to.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
― Benjamin Franklin

This applies to nearly every aspect of your life...faith, marriage, finances, health…the list goes on. As believers, the Bible assures us that trials are coming our way. We cannot avoid them, and the book of James instructs us to “Consider it pure joy” when we are faced with them, because ultimately that’s how God grows our faith & deepens our relationship with him. But this does not mean we shouldn’t do our best to be prepared ahead of time for when the trials come.

There is no better time to start taking care of your health than NOW, before the illness comes.

There is no better time to invest in your marriage than NOW, before the struggles hit.

There is no better time to get your finances in order than NOW, before the hardships.

There is no better time to start focusing on your walk with the Lord than NOW, before the enemy attacks and trials and temptations enter your life.

We try to focus on the 5 F’s in our life…Faith, Family, Friends, Finances, Fitness…(in that order) and be good stewards of our time, talents, and resources in these areas. God has blessed us tremendously, and we want to honor him by putting effort into the 5 F’s. Just being totally honest & transparent though, it is VERY easy to get off track and out of balance. The BEST way we have found to keep our priorities in order, aside from praying daily for the Lord to order our steps, is through honest self- reflection and lots of open communication. We ask each other for accountability and take time to stop from all the madness of life to just THINK & evaluate how we are doing in these areas. I guess that may sound cheesy, but we know that to truly honor the Lord and be the most Christlike we can, we have to honor him in all areas of our life, but these 5 areas in particular.

Maybe life is smooth sailing for you right now. I pray it is, and I pray you remember to be THANKFUL during the mountaintops. But are you ready for the valleys? Are you ready physically, spiritually, financially, and emotionally? Have you invested in your relationships and put the work into growing your faith so your roof is ready to weather the storm?

Just some food for thought on this Wednesday…