A roof is the uppermost part of a house. It gives the building a finished appearance and protects it from all kinds of precipitation, wind, cold, and heat.
When I began building houses, I was always interested in the steel connections between their various parts. I understood that these connections had to be there because they provided special strength. We built most houses so that the foundation was firmly connected to the roof by reinforcing steel that passed through all the walls of the house, from the very bottom to the very top. As I reflected on this design, I realized that such a connection gives the building itself special strength in the event of an earthquake and holds the roof firmly in place during a hurricane.
Once I attended a camp meeting in another country. As I visited my friends’ homes, I was surprised to discover that roofs in their region were simply laid upon the brickwork and lightly fastened with ordinary screws. When I asked whether their village had ever experienced problems with roofs, one man told me which roofs had been blown away during the most recent hurricane and where it had happened. I took note of this information.
Have you ever heard Russian expressions that literally mean, “His roof has been blown off,” or “His roof has slipped”? I think a Russian-speaking person understands what they mean, but if a foreigner wishes to grasp these phrases, someone will have to explain that the person has “lost his marbles” or has “bats in his belfry.” Germans express the same idea by saying that someone has “a bird in his head,” “is acting like a spider,” or “has eaten spiders.” And so we enrich our vocabulary.
As I built my little house of happiness, I took all these features into account and decided to construct it in such a way that my roof would always remain in place and would cover the entire building, strong, beautiful, and reliable. This structure is called “imputed and imparted righteousness.” At first, I did not understand why it had such a complicated name, but while building my little house, I discovered that this unique structure is given to me by the Chief Engineer Himself when I choose the Rock as the Foundation of my building. It covers me throughout the entire construction process like a cloud by day and gives light like a pillar of fire by night, thereby protecting me from every kind of bad weather and making everything bright and visible.
This roof is imputed to me as my own possession at the very beginning of construction, simply because I have decided to step onto this narrow path, even though I have not yet made any effort to acquire it and know nothing about its design. As I build my little house of happiness, I discover new features of my roof, study the principles of its strength, become better acquainted with its Designer, test all its load-bearing characteristics, examine its outward appearance, insulate it, and decorate it from within. In time, I realize that it would be very good for my roof to be firmly connected to the Foundation. To accomplish this, I extend the corners of the building—“I love,” “I believe,” “I am faithful,” and “I thirst”—all the way to the top and install a reinforced bond beam called “I am steadfast” around the entire perimeter. I secure the roof firmly with the bolts of “light and truth.” In the middle of the little house, I decide to support the roof with two pillars, “I pray” and “I fast,” further connecting them to the foundation with the “hooks of trust,” filling them inside with the “golden oil of love,” and also attaching them to the roof with the bolts of “light and truth.”
On hot summer days or in the bitter cold of winter, I climb to the space directly beneath the roof of my little house of happiness and check how hot or cold it becomes. To protect the interior of my little house from excessive heat or cold, I insulate the inside of the roof with eight layers of insulation called “the laws of health.” To keep any infection or disease from penetrating this thermal insulation, I decide to study its composition and keep its quality under constant supervision. Although this material cannot serve as the Foundation of happiness, its absence brings much suffering and premature death; therefore, I decide that the roof ought to be insulated.
While I am building my little house of happiness and securing and insulating its roof, I notice that my roof is being transformed from “imputed righteousness” into “imparted righteousness.” I did not invent these terms; they are part of the Chief Engineer’s plans. I see how harmoniously my little house is designed, how wisely its Architect planned every detail and component, and how visible it becomes to everyone else. It is like a city set upon a hill, and it shines especially brightly even at night.
Throughout the construction process, love is constantly bustling around my feet and testing every part for strength and every little brick for quality. It permits no defects and keeps everything under control. At the proper time, it opens the windows of the soul to let in light and fresh air and to welcome my friends and neighbors. At the very first knock, love runs to the door and brings the Good Shepherd into my little house—the One Who calls out when He approaches the door and knocks. Love knows this voice and always responds to it. It never mistakes it for the voices of strangers and does not admit outsiders; when danger arises, it immediately closes every window and door.
When I invite the Good Shepherd to supper, we sit down at the table, and love begins to serve us. It confidently takes all His gifts and provisions out of the Dear Guest’s basket and offers them to me, while I share my own preserves and delicacies. We enjoy pleasant fellowship around the abundant table, and our love serves us and gladdens our hearts.
My Good Friend promises that in the near future He will seat me beside Himself on His throne if I remain faithful in love, friendship, and happiness and use these instruments to overcome every temptation. I listen to all this and realize that much is still not entirely clear to me, yet I decide to love and be happy in every situation and in every kind of weather. My Shepherd tells me about a wonderful future and explains that the laws of Eternal happiness are available even now and that my little house meets their standards. Together we rejoice in life and sing Heavenly melodies, touching the strings of each other’s souls.
Yet I am constantly drawn to speak about visible things, about what is relevant to my present life, and I greatly desire to learn more about the insulation in the roof. My Good Friend begins to reveal to me the mysteries of health, which prove to be so simple and unique that even children can understand them.
He teaches me that the insulation called “the laws of health” is given to all people at birth as a gift from Heaven and must be carefully preserved without damaging its overall structure. Then it will protect you from the cold of disease and the scorching heat of bacteria until you squander or lose it. But if you lose it, your little house of happiness will be filled from within with difficult trials. They will not deprive you of Eternal hope, but they will bring many cares and needless sufferings.
How interesting, simple, and mysterious all this is! The Lord has already planned everything for me. He has given me everything necessary for happiness, builds together with me, repairs every defect, tenderly cares for the building’s strength and integrity, and fills it all with agape love. Yet at times I look at it and wonder whether I really need all this and whether I truly want to be happy. Should I study all of it and spend my precious time on it?
Bible verses for this chapter:
Matthew 5:19–20; Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1–8; James 2:23; Deuteronomy 6:25; 9:3–6; Proverbs 11:19; 14:34; Isaiah 64:6; Ezekiel 33:12–13; Romans 5:1–2, 19–21; 14:17; Galatians 3:21; Revelation 19:8