Foreclosure

“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 Seeing past the grime and cob webs, peeling back the outdated wallpaper and obscure colored carpet literally everywhere were particulars of an amazing structure.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).