|
THE PROCESS
(This
was written while I still lived in
Willmar, Minnesota.)
I live
in the Pleasant Run subdivision. It seems
to me that new houses are being built in
the area all of the time. Two of these new
homes stand out in my mind. One is
directly across the street from where I
live and the other one is almost directly
behind my house. Today they are finished,
beautiful and occupied. I remember though
the process that the dwellings went though
to get to where they are at. I use to go
across the street and look at the large
hole that was in time to be a basement. It
looked silly then. It was nothing more
than an empty void. Children from the
neighborhood would play in it. In time
though, the hole was covered as new walls
went up, roof thrushes were put in place
and bricks and shingles were assigned
their spots. Color was added here and
there, grass was planted, scrubs were put
out and now wow. Beautiful.
The
other house had a more difficult time
getting to the finish line. Several months
ago my wife and I were awakened in the
middle of the night to the sound of sirens
and to flashing lights reflecting off of
our ceiling. The new house, which had only
recently been framed in was totally
engulfed in flames. It could not be saved.
The fire cannibalized the place. All that
was left were a few charred reminders of
what might have been. All was lost, or so
it seemed. The workmen though immediately
went back to work on their project. They
patiently cleared away the debris, put up
a new frame and in time they had finished
their job. Today the house is up,
beautiful, and occupied.
I was
reminded of a simple but important truth
as I watched the two homes being built. We
must never confuse the process with the
finished product. The big void in the
ground was not the home, it was just a
step in that direction. The fire was a sad
set back, but it didn't stop the dedicated
builders from reaching their goals. The
piles of lumber, bricks, and soil were
unsightly for a while, but today all of
the parts have come together like the
pieces of a giant puzzle. The end products
are houses that anyone would be proud to
own. I can now see how the end product was
worth the process!
Isn't
life somewhat like those two dwellings?
Oftentimes we too begin with this void in
our lives. Emptiness seems to be our
middle name. Then comes the confusion
stage. Piles of meaningless
"stuff" seems to clutter
everything. Pieces of where? When? What?
Why? and how seem to be all over the
place. Finally when it seems as if the
pieces are coming together, the fire hits.
Everything appears to be lost. Tears.
Anger! Frustration. But then comes the
master builder. He still has His original
plan in mind. The process, regardless of
how long and hard, will not keep Him from
completing His product. He has not
forgotten his original intent. He meant to
build a house and he will get His house
built. Count on it.
As I
look out at the two houses now, I cannot
tell which one went through the fire, and
which one didn't. They both look equally
beautiful. The fire was a setback, I do
not deny that fact. But it was only
temporary. No one would ever know now. In
fact, the work is even more remarkable to
me because of the fire.
The
Bible likens the saint to a dwelling in
which God lives. Ephesians 2:2, states,
"And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God
lives by his Spirit."
The
process sometimes appears to be shaky at
best. Nevertheless, Philippians 1:6
promises, "being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion." The
Master Builder knows what He is doing and
why. Jeremiah 29:11 then adds, "For I
know the plans I have for you,' declares
the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future."
If your
life is somewhere between the starting and
the finish line, why not spend a few
moments considering my little story.
Remember that the process must be kept
separate from the finished product. The
beginning or even the middle of something
is not the end. The Master Builder has the
end in sight though, and He will bring the
project in on time and within budget. In
the end, the house will be beautiful and
complete. No one will know about the fire
either, believe me. It will only work
together to make the project more
appealing in the end.
|
