The Big Rock

When my children were little, my youngest boy, Garry, usually played with his sister, Kathy. At other times his two older brothers would play with him, but he didn’t like their constant teasing.

One day Garry came to me and told me he didn’t like his brothers. He said he was going to run away. We have forty-five acres, and he knew all the hiding places. I told him I loved him and didn’t want him to go. He said he loved me too. Then he decided he would meet me out at the big rock at the back of our property. He didn’t want to run away from his mom; he wanted to run away from his brothers!

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,” says our text. If you want to acquire a city, you go out and conquer it. Even a strong city can be won by brute force, and you may be strong enough to win, even strong enough to quell the rebellion that follows.

When you want to establish a lifelong bond with your brother, however, you cannot force his loyalty, and you cannot make him love you. You must first rule yourself by practicing self-discipline and self-denial. That is hard! But worth it. Your brother can be won over by learning to trust your deep love and true acceptance.

Our text also means that a grudge provides fuel for strong resistance and can outlast most sieges. It can take a long time for your love to seep through the stone walls protecting your brother’s heart. That is laborious but worth it! Your brother can be won over by watching the consistent change in your behavior, attitude, and nature.

As they grew up, my children learned to love one another. The boys brought three new “daughters” into my family, and now I have sixteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren! More than ever, the next generation of brothers and sisters and cousins must learn to be bound by cords of love, to build their homes solidly on the Rock of Ages. Only this foundation is strong enough to withstand the brutal force of an assaulting enemy.

I never forgot about Garry wanting to meet me at the big rock on the hill. I pray that all my family will meet me at the Rock of Ages on the hill of Mount Calvary.

Anne Elaine Nelson with Rebecca Turner