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How can we build back better?

Regular contributor Jane Walters recalls the fragility of the sandcastles she built in her youth, and believes there are lessons to be learned as we re-build our lives following the restrictions of the last eighteen months.

Build Back Better is the motto of the government’s latest scheme to grow and develop the UK economy, but I wonder what the phrase means to you? Is it just another sound-bite – all hype but no substance? Or is it something that sets your heart stirring, your mind working?
 
The picture that sprang to my mind was of my childhood days on the beach making sandcastles. I remember how I would tap the base of the upturned bucket with my spade, holding my breath and wishing, only for a sibling or friend to take a mean swipe at it, reducing it back to grit. I’ve often thought it’s the perfect illustration of how life can go!
 
Whether you were affected by the pandemic slightly or catastrophically, we’re all in the process of re-building. For you, it might mean tweaking your routine; or perhaps completely re-thinking everything you’d previously known. Whatever the situation, it will require dedication, patience, perseverance, and wisdom.
 
I’m constantly grateful for the role that faith plays in my life, for being able to turn to God for help. A verse I’ve clung to through many a tricky situation is Isaiah 58:12. The Message translation says, ’You will use the rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.’
 
I love that it seems to be saying that nothing is wasted. If our walls are smashed, the bricks can be salvaged and re-purposed. Even our very foundations can be re-established so that we can truly build back better. And here’s the thing about foundations: their shape and depth determines the entire size of the building.
 
Let’s take this opportunity to dig deeper, plan bigger and entrust our lives to God, the Master Architect, the very rock on which we stand.


Jane Walters 175Jane Walters, formerly Clamp, is the author of Too Soon, a mother’s journey through miscarriage (SPCK) and a regular contributor to Premier Radio and UCB. She leads creative writing retreats and is a popular speaker locally and further afield. Visit: janewyattwalters.com

 
 

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