In a certain village, there lived two builders named Ethan and Emina. Ethan was diligent and built his house on a foundation of solid rock, while Emina was hasty and constructed her house on a foundation of sand.
For many years, both houses stood strong and weathered the elements without trouble. However, one day, a powerful storm swept through the village, causing chaos and destruction in its wake.
As the storm approached, Ethan's house remained firm on its rock-solid foundation, withstanding the fierce winds and torrential rain that lashed against it. Meanwhile, Emina's house, built on the sandy foundation, quickly succumbed to the onslaught of the storm, collapsing into a pile of rubble.
After the storm had passed, Ethan went to check on Emina and found her amidst the ruins of her collapsed house. Emina cried out, "Lord, Lord, did we not both build houses in your name? Why has mine fallen while yours remains standing?" Ethan replied, "Emina, the strength of our houses was not determined by the words we spoke, but by the foundations upon which they were built. Your house fell because it was built on sand, while mine stood firm on the rock. The storm merely revealed the true foundation of each house."
Despite the devastation, Emina refused to give up hope. Determined to protect herself from further destruction, she decided to relocate her rebuilding efforts to higher ground, moving her house to elevated locations each time a storm threatened.
Meanwhile, Ethan remained steadfast in his conviction that his house, built on the rock-solid foundation, would withstand any challenge. However, as the intensity of the storms increased and the river swelled beyond its banks, the floodwaters eventually breached Ethan's defences, inundating his house and washing away everything he had built.
In the aftermath of the flood, Ethan found himself standing amidst the ruins of his once-solid home, bewildered and devastated by the loss. Reflecting on the events that had transpired, he realised that his unwavering faith in his foundation had blinded him to the changing realities of the world around him.
While Emina had adjusted to the challenges by relocating her house to higher ground, Ethan decided to rebuild, this time taking a cue from Emina's wisdom and constructing his new house atop a hill and inviting her in.
