Hand Me Another Brick

Most people don’t realize that many homes and buildings around the world are made with bricks. Israelite slaves made bricks with mud and straw in Egypt (Exodus 1:14). Native Americans in the southwest made houses with adobe bricks. Many buildings and cathedrals in Europe are built with flat red bricks and covered with plaster.

One of my favorite people in the Bible is a man named Nehemiah. He led the efforts to rebuild with walls of Jerusalem around 450 BC. They used stones, bricks and timber to restore the walls around the city. You can read the details of this amazing project in the book of Nehemiah.

When Scottsdale High School was torn down in the 1990’s, the school district removed bricks from the old buildings and sold them to local residents and former students as a way to remember the importance of Scottsdale High School in their lives and in their community.

Several years ago, Disneyland invited people to purchase a brick that would be placed in the large plaza between Disneyland and the new California Adventure Park. It is fun to read some of the names on these colorful bricks paving the way for visitors at the theme parks.

A few years ago my brother learned of an opportunity to honor our father’s military service in World War Two. Steve attended a ceremony at Atascardero Lake Park Veterans Memorial and heard he could purchase a brick to honor the service of men and women in the military. He purchased one for our father.

Recently I received an invitation to purchase a brick at my graduate school Dallas Seminary. The school will soon be celebrating 100 years in 2024. They have invited students, faculty, alumni and supporters to purchase a brick for the patio area in front of the new Chapel on the campus. My wife and I decided to purchase a brick to express our thanks for the years we shared at the school. Dallas Seminary prepared both of us for decades of pastoral ministry. We are thankful for the leaders and professors who encouraged and prepared us to love people and love the Bible. I learned so much in the classroom while my wife worked full-time. She also attended classes in the evening. We are thankful for the impact Dallas Seminary has had on our faith, family and ministry.

Let me encourage you to watch for an opportunity to honor and express your thanks to a school, hospital or an individual who has impacted your life. Make a donation and leave a small statement for your children and grandchildren to see. You will be glad you did and they will too!

You can read 365 more stories and articles (one for every day of the year) in Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. Purchase two books – one for yourself and one to share with a friend for only $30 plus postage ($5). Order at markh@efreedb.org