Building Through the Breaks: Control Joints of the Soul

Building Through the Breaks: Control Joints of the Soul

by Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar

Top of the morning, good people! I know it’s a bit noisy ‘round here hammerin', clangin’, drillin’ like there’s no tomorrow but don’t mind that. We're in the middle of some good ol’ soul construction. So, go ahead, throw on that safety vest, slap that hard hat on your dome, and don’t forget them steel-toe boots. This ain’t your average devotional we’re building something real. We’re laying down control joints and expansion joints in the architecture of our spirit. So grab that hammer drill, baby, and let’s get to work.

Now, let’s talk about these joints. Not the kind you smoke or the ones in your knees I'm talkin’ about them grooves and breaks they cut into concrete slabs to keep everything from cracking and falling apart. You ever see a sidewalk all split up, looking like it’s been through a war zone? That’s what happens when there ain’t no room to stretch, no planning for expansion. Same with us. Life gets hot, pressure rises, and if we ain't got no control joints built into our spirit, we gonna crack wide open.

You see, a control joint don’t mean the concrete is weak it means it’s wise. It knows trouble is coming, stress is sure to show up, so it makes a space to handle it without breaking. That’s a word right there. Some of us need spiritual control joints intentional spaces for rest, prayer, crying it out, talking to someone real, or just being still. ‘Cause life will bring heat. That sun gone bake us. Folks gone test us. Bills gone pile up. But if we’ve got a built-in place to breathe, we won’t shatter under pressure.

Now, expansion joints? Whew, now that's a whole sermon. Expansion joints are like the grace we give ourselves and others when we’re growing. See, when things heat up when life stretches us we need wiggle room. Ever tried to force a blessing before its time? Or stayed in a situation long after it outgrew your spirit? That’s what happens when you don’t allow for expansion. You gotta let folks grow. Let yourself grow. Make room for new dreams, new habits, even new relationships. The old framework just can’t hold what’s coming.

Let me tell y’all a little parable about a man named Junior and his cousin Earl. One summer, they got a bright idea to build a fish-cleaning station out behind Junior’s place. Now, these two didn’t bother with no plans or measurements they just slapped some boards together, nailed on a rusty tin roof, and stood back like they was the kings of construction. Looked alright at first, but after about a week of that southern sun cookin’ it, the whole structure cracked right down the middle. Split like a watermelon at a picnic. Why? No expansion joints. No give. No grace for the changes that were bound to come. They thought they could outbuild the heat, outsmart nature. But nature don’t play fair unless you play wise. She had her own blueprint, and Junior and Earl learned the hard way that building without give is just asking for a breakdown.

And ain’t life like that? We build relationships, dreams, careers, even our self-image without factoring in the heat. We don’t think about the stress, the growing pains, or the seasons that stretch us. Then one day snap we’re broken down, wondering where we went wrong. That’s why I’m telling you: plan for the pressure. Make room for the growth.

Shoot, some of us crack not ‘cause we’re weak, but ‘cause we were never taught to pour in control joints. We didn’t learn how to pause and breathe when life heated up. Nobody showed us how to let our hearts expand when the Spirit starts pushing us past our comfort zone. But it ain’t too late. We can still grab that drill. Still put in them joints.

Now, let’s sprinkle in a little humor before I let you go. You ever see someone act like they’ve got it all together, and then the moment something don’t go their way, they blow up like a busted pipe? That’s what happens when you build your life like it’s perfect concrete. No flaws. No allowances for being human. You ain’t concrete, baby. You’re a living, breathing, stretching, feeling creation. You need grace. You need room.

And don’t forget sometimes the joint that looks like a break is actually a blessing. The very thing you thought was a flaw? That was your soul’s expansion joint. That heartbreak? It gave you room to grow. That delay? It saved you from cracking under too much pressure. That “no”? It was just life saying, “Make space, I’m about to expand you.”

A Final Word:

So here we are construction boots dusty, spirit stirred up, heart full of wisdom. Don’t be afraid to carve in those control joints. Make time to pause. To reflect. To forgive. And when life stretches you, don’t panic. That’s just your expansion joint doing its job.

Let’s build something lasting. Not just pretty. Not just perfect. But strong, wise, flexible. Resilient.

Alright, now go on. Dust yourself off, baby. You’re under divine construction.