“We wiped aside the endless spider webs as we walked through the
cellar, although there was no brushing away the pungent musty smell. The
rickety stairs leading up to the first floor provided a path but not safety or
security. The darkness dissipated up the set of steps as the sunlight arose
through the doorway leading up to the kitchen. There was a vastness to the
room, encapsulated by nothing except a vaulted ceiling that was etched out by
large wooden beams. The pathway around the entire first floor was mysterious
and without pattern. There was nothing common about the maze until we finally
came to the staircase to the second floor. Escalating upward, higher
and higher we meandered through a platform of another level of intricacies deep
with carpet, varying floor levels and lofted areas of space. Even higher still
was an attic that could only be accessed by a single standing ladder leading to
a circle shaped parlor complete with disco ball and colored lights from the
ceiling.”
One of the largest
houses in our neighbor recently was listed on the real estate market as a
foreclosure. It is listed a lot higher than our price range, we only moved a
little less than 2 years ago and so many other things added to the list of
practical reasons why we should not venture in. But curiosity got the best of
us. We climbed out of the van and began an informal surveillance of the
property. The landscape was wildly overgrown and there were unidentifiable
hazards to the yard we could not avoid. To our surprise, a Realtor came by at the very same time we were traipsing through the
yard. A short time later, she showed us around as legitimate tourists of the
property.
It had been abandoned
more than 2 and a half years ago. A husband had died and the now deemed widow
could no longer care for the enormous property herself. It was obvious that
there had been no care on the estate for a long time. But as if wearing
bifocals we could see the house in twofold: yes, it needed a lot of work… but
it also had an endless amount of potential! Seeing past the grime and cob webs,
peeling back the outdated wallpaper and obscure colored carpet literally
everywhere were particulars of an amazing structure. Almost the entire house
needed an overhaul and refreshing but the foundation was solid and invitation
to an endeavor without limits.
We departed the
foreclosed house we knew we could neither afford financially or with our time
and yet it was not all for nothing. I was left so gently with a reminder of how
it paralleled the love God has for us (me). Many days I feel broken down and
tattered by trials and turmoil in my life, some as a result of my own actions
and some uninvited. So often I am a mess and guilty of a foul smelling
attitude. But at the core of my existence, God is my solid foundation. God sees
past the muck and mire, and sees potential. He sees the endless possibilities
of something that, once given a little love and care, could be so beautiful. He
knows every single intricacy of my being and knows the great potential behind
every one, after all He was the creator of them! He has plans for every detail
of my life. He never walks away nor leaves; I am a part of His investment that
was already paid for with a high price… to make me a new creation! I am not a
lost cause; He will never stop working on me: a work in progress.
Prayer: Lord, I am grateful You see me not as I
am but as I could be, never giving up on me or forsaking me. Thank you for your
grace and love. I receive Your invitation daily and cling to with everything I
have (or lack) each day. I bid you to continue the good work in me until the
day of completion (when I finally meet You).
