Habakkuk – If Walls Could Talk

Habakkuk 2:11
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

This is the most frightening thing I ever heard. It made my brother’s taunts to tell on me seem frivolous. I may not have done anything but I sure had thoughts. Thoughts and wishes that sometimes came true.

The preacher at summer camp blotted out that very thin line between thoughts and deeds and every single boy and girl needed to repent now and know the fear of God.

Some will say this verse was taken out of context. God in the Old Testament was a far more vengeful God than the Father of our Lord. Some, will shrug the whole thing off. Who was Habakkuk, anyway?

None of these comforts were available to me, that hot summer day. After camp, I had to go home to my own personal hell. The abuse heaped upon my siblings and me would pick up right where it left off. Those terrible thoughts of a fourth grade girl would sometimes come true. If God reached out through the adults in my life, I might very well be yanked out of my wheelchair and dangled in Judgment as the walls cried out against me.

The whole idea of talking walls, raising their voices in testament against me, never left. I do know, now, that I am not the only person in danger of such events. Other walls must stalk other people. These walls must also witness the good along with the bad.

What follows is a Spoon River Anthology of Houses. You will read about houses and homes of all sorts. Some are whimsical, some sober, some horrid, historical, hateful and sweet. While writing this project I compiled a list of 64 potential houses and homes. Not all of them made the cut. You’ll see The House that Jack Built, a tree house, Gingerbread House, Court House, Warehouse, outhouse, trailer house, Home Sweet Home, retirement home, a house of cards, foreclosed home, work house, mad house, and more. Each one will have a turn at upon my stage.
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