- Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Dear Dr. E: I am very worried about the country’s future, and frankly, I’m not alone. It seems like almost everyone, whether Republican or Democrat, thinks the future will bring more conflict, more economic peril, more wars, more anger, more protests, more terrorism, and just more of about everything negative. Do you have any advice on how to prepare for what lies ahead? — WORRIED MILLENNIAL FROM MONTANA 

Dear Worried: In September 2018, the Eastern Seaboard of the United States braced for a Category 4 hurricane. The exact time the storm would hit was uncertain, as hurricanes tend to have a mind of their own. There was no guarantee that the storm would make landfall, but that didn’t prevent people up and down the coastline from preparing. 

Windows were boarded up. Items on the porch that could fly away were either strapped down or taken indoors. Residents hoping to stop the rising waters from rushing inside placed sandbags in front of their homes. Plans were made for where the residents would go to evacuate.

As Hurricane Florence made its way to the southeast of the United States, those in the path of the storm knew that being unprepared was not an option. Rather than leaving their homes and their lives to chance, they took action and did everything possible to prepare to weather the storm and, eventually, bounce back after the hurricane had passed.

When Florence finally made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, the residents had done everything they could to prepare. The storm was hitting. Now, all they could do was hope that the buildings could withstand the deluge and that the preparations they had made were enough to keep their houses intact. 

Jesus used the analogy of a storm to explain the importance of solid foundations in life. He said, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.”

The wise builder is prepared. He chooses a solid foundation. He “hears and puts into practice.” He does what is necessary before the storm to withstand the floods and the winds when they strike. 

But Jesus also told us the outcome of those who refuse to do this, those who don’t want to do the hard work of digging deep and breaking through to rock, and those who would prefer the ease of sand. They have no foundation. “Their house will crash.” 

Both the wise and the foolish builders experienced the difficulties of life. Hardships came. Storms raged. In fact, if you look closely at Christ’s parable, identical types of storms struck each person and each house. Rains, winds, and rising streams hit both.

One stood while the other fell. The only difference between the two was the foundation upon which they were constructed. The distinction between success and failure was preparation. 

Preparing means we find the right foundation for whatever life may bring. We fortify who we are and what we stand upon by “hearing and putting into practice” the wisdom of those who have dealt with storms before us. We understand that the sands of popular opinion crumble. We look for the rock of time-tested truths. 

This gives us the conviction to double down when difficulties and crises come. Preparation not only reduces the likelihood of structural collapse and personal loss but also gives us the confidence to know how to rebuild when we suffer damage. 

Much of life is hard, but the preparation that allows us to overcome difficulty is found in doing the work of digging deeper into the rock. Those who look for the safety and ease of “sand” will eventually crumble. Those who welcome conflict with courage will find growth and success. 

Children run from storms because their foundation is not yet built. Adults stand strong. Their courage is deep. Their foundation is rock-solid. They run into the storm, not away from it. Be the adult in the room. 

Henry David Thoreau said, “However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.”

Never curse the conflict. Relish it. For it is the obstacles of life that ultimately define who we truly are. With apologies to Plato, it is not the unexamined life that is not worth living, but the unchallenged one—for such a conflict-free life is delusional. It’s a lie. 

If you are seeking guidance in today’s changing world, Higher Ground is there for you. Everett Piper, a Ph.D. and a former university president and radio host, takes your questions in his weekly ’Ask Dr. E’ column. If you have moral or ethical questions for which you’d like an answer, please email askeverett@washingtontimes.com and he may include it in a future column.

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