Lego Blocks [An Architective Design of Life]

Blocks even though much bigger than Legos, which happen to be my favorite, are one of Amberlyn's favorite toys right now (here you can read an old blog on Legos here). I am a typical father that loves playing with his child and because of my affinity towards Legos and blocks I can spend a long time playing with Amberlyn. As I sat down to play, I knew that meant quality time with my daughter.

As I began playing with her I realized she had a process to her building. I did architecture, both commercial and residential professionally for 6 years and have done a lot of remodeling and construction so I assume it must of been in my jeans figuring I learned all my construction from my father. I am proud that she cares about your building construction if only with blocks. She began to grab a block and add it the construction project. I would move it and place it where it 'should' go. Sometimes she was okay with that, sometimes she would move it back to where it was letting me know with her action that I was to follow her moves and I was merely invited to her construction project, I kept forgetting that. We began building bigger and higher and I was getting excited for how well her skills were for constructing such a high tower.

Higher, higher I told myself as I would point to where to put the purple 3 block, then came the 4 block and I would point 'here'. Then the 4x4 block and I point to the place that Amberlyn needs to put the block on our building. Then the hot pink single block and point to its future destination. Then I keep instructing her where to put the blocks so that our structure becomes a masterpiece. I have become the project manager. Notice the change from her structure to our and the her to I.

Then it happens, in an instant she is no longer an architect or contractor or project manager, she has thrown in the towel and found a new job of a demolitionist. She begins taking it all apart. Not as crazy as you would think, her girl qualities are apparent. She is descuplting it piece by piece. Where is the pile that it all goes, on daddy's lap. Each one at a time is placed on my lap and if one should fall she is quick to pick it up and place it in it's primary location that she has decided and I recognize my position is not of management but merely a hired hand in her demo crew. [That's the pic above of her placing the pieces on my lap.]

I realize the life lessons learned from a child, in this moment all is good and she has taught me a valuable insight into my life and hopefully yours.

You see God begins to place things in your life and asks you to do something or move, change directions, don't say something, speak into someones life, etc and many times we listen. Then it's almost as if God becomes predictable so we begin to look ahead at the seemingly predictableness and make the decision for Him. Not a big one, we are not that proud, we humble ourself and make a seemingly easy decision despite God's desire, why would we? We know what God wants. Next thing ya know we become the project manager for our life and begin to direct it and tell ourselves what to do, where to go. When something doesn't go right we respond to the problem instead of respond to the foundational issue. I became the project manager in the structure for my daughters creation. Many of us take the same role in our own life, we become the manager of our structured life.

Even worse, there comes a point that our life is so much a mark of our own architetive design that it no longer resembles the creation of our creator, like Amberlyns structure had become that of her dad's. Then what happens? Well with the blocks Amberlyn began to painstakingly take it apart one piece at a time.

There is a story in the Bible where Judah is stepping out of what God has for them, they are constructing their own fate. The are trying to build an alliance with Egypt and God is explaining to them the true depth of how bad Egypt has it in for themselves. In the beginning of Isaiah chapter 30 God is warning them. He tells them in verse 12 since they have rejected Him they will suffer, He explains that they will begin to fall and crumble as if Judah was this block construction of mine and they watch Amberlyn begin to destroy it one block at a time. God even says in verse 14 that their collapse is like the smashing of a potter's jar. I see Amberlyn destroying the structure taking it all apart and laying it as ruins, clay pieces in my lap.

Then verse 15 is the key to it all. God promises that in repentance and rest they will be saved, in quietness and trust is their strength. Here are four things to consider when you have began to make your own choices and run your own life

1. Repent - self explanatory, say you are sorry and vow to turn away from those decisions.
2. Rest - When we rest we are not making any moves.
3. Quietness - I am no longer making the call, I am quiet.
   
4. Trust - I give God the control to make my life into what He wants.

Here is the astonishing situation. Verse 16 God says, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” . It is amazing that in those simple 4 steps Judah failed. They thought their choices were the best. Lord break me into the smallest pieces, into dust, that I can no longer build so that I can only depend on You!

Are you able to put those 4 steps into practice? What is stopping you? What makes it difficult?