A Solid Foundation

"Therefore many of them believed"

Acts 17:12

We're doing some home improvements as of late.  Specifically, pulling up carpet and laying down wood floors in the bedrooms.  We talked about having them installed professionally, but then talked ourselves into doing it with our own two ~ well, eight ~ hands. 

On Memorial Day, we got started.  Moved all the furniture and belongings out of our boy's room, and pulled up the carpet and padding. 

See that awesome paint job?  Faux brick and a baseball field mural.  My sweetie and I did it ourselves several years ago.

Unfortunately, under the padding, we found a surprise.  Linoleum.  'Cause doesn't everyone lay down linoleum in bedrooms?  Sheesh. 

And even worse, the linoleum is glued to the concrete with an adhesive that can contain asbestos.  So our project had to come to a grinding halt while we assessed the situation.  My sweetie talked to his brother, who used to be in flooring.  And he contacted two men we used to go to church with, both of whom are contractors.  Then he contacted another contractor friend.  Then he researched on the internet.  Then he called an asbestos removal company and heard what they had to say.

Seemed like a lot of work to me.  He got the same answer from almost everyone, which was that if you don't disturb the linoleum, and the adhesive, it's fine.  Laying the new floors, and the layer of moisture barrier, over the top of the old floor is just fine. 

I can be a little impatient, and I sometimes prefer doing to planning, so I just wanted to get on with it.  As soon as he got one opinion that said to just go ahead and lay down the new floors, I wanted him to act on that.  But he insisted on investigating until he felt comfortable with the predominant counsel. 

I was proud of how thorough and cautious he was.  I was impressed that he didn't accept just one answer, or even two out of three.  He talked to people with a variety of backgrounds, and fields of expertise, and varied lengths of experience.

It reminded me of the Bereans, mentioned by Paul in Acts 17.  They lived in the city of Berea, and Paul commended them not for their belief in his preaching, but in their readiness to receive the word, and their determination to search the Scriptures themselves, daily, to know that everything Paul was saying to them was true. 

For as long as I can remember, I have approached the Bible this way.  Any teaching or preaching I hear, I filter through what I've already learned myself, or if it's a new thought or an area of the Bible that I'm less familiar with, then I go home and read it myself, and maybe look up some cross references, and talk it out with the Apple of my Eye. 

The message of His Word; the material contained within those pages, is too important to take lightly.  What we learn has consequences ~ both good and bad ~ and it's up to us to learn and understand to the best of our ability.  Then we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. 

~ "If you abide in My word,

      you are My disciples indeed." ~

John 8:31

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