When we bought our house, we knew there were some things we didn't really like about its current condition, but we saw the potential. The first project after we moved in was the kitchen. The old yellowing vinyl flooring, the chipped counters, deteriorating cabinets and broken sink were just a few of the flaws that needed to be addressed. We carefully planned out what we wanted the new kitchen to look like, made purchases and had everything prepared for our new kitchen.
Demolition is fun - it's where you get to rip out all of the old stuff. For the kitchen, it meant taking everything out - cabinets, appliances, flooring - everything was removed to get a clean slate to work from. There were a few of those "ewwwww - I can't believe that was in our kitchen" moments as we found things behind the cabinets and under appliances that hadn't been moved in years. As we were tearing out the old, we uncovered some things that were unexpected that had to be addressed before we could continue.
Seems that it's pretty common in remodeling work to find hidden things that need to be fixed and can be an extensive & expensive project in itself if the flaws are serious enough. You really don't even know what's hidden until you get to it. "If only I wouldn't have opened this up . . ." - a common response, but eventually these problems are going to have to be addressed, one way or another. Ignoring the flaws don't make them go away, they just continue to cause even more often unseen damage. If you've seen HGTV, you know what I mean!
Construction is the longest stage of a remodeling project. For us, this was the time when we couldn't use our kitchen because we only had an empty room and it seemed like it took forever. Work needs to be done in a certain order and you want to make sure that the materials and workmanship are top quality to get the results you want. There always seem to be delays and there is always more to do than you anticipate.
At a few points during construction, we wondered if it would ever come to an end. Eventually the last bit of work was finished and we were thrilled with the After! Our kitchen and much of our first floor of our house had gone through an incredible transformation.
We were done with the kitchen . . . but there were other rooms that were on the remodeling list. Some needed some major work, other rooms needed just a little. But it seems that once we started with the remodel, the flaws on the other rooms became more obvious. Right now, we are in the middle of remodeling our master bathroom and back yard at the same time. When will it ever end?
I don't think God's idea of Remodeling is the same as mine - in fact I know it's not. Take 2 Corinthians 5:17 for example:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.God's idea of a Remodeling us is making us a new creation in Jesus. If you stop and think about it, that is the most radical Remodel that we will go through. We are literally transformed in to a new creation. God has taken away the old and replaced it with a new creation. But He doesn't stop there. It seems that even though we are new creations in Christ, we still have areas in our lives that need to be Remodeled.
You would think that after enough of God's Remodeling in our lives, we would be good enough. But God doesn't want us to be just "good enough". He has plans for us that we can't imagine (see Jeremiah 29:11) and is working in us always to make us more like Christ.
The discomfort we experience when we remodel our homes is really nothing compared to how hard it is to go through God's Remodeling of us. It's hard, painful, hurtful and stressful as God reveals the flaws in us that need to be transformed, then proceeds with reconstructing those flaws into new and better based on His plan for us.
But we should always remember that we are also part of the body of Christ and God wants to make the body what He wants it to be to achieve His purpose. Our local church and the global church alike are being perfected - Remodeled - for His kingdom work and His glory.
So, what does any of this have to do with climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro? Well, nothing directly. But everything I/we do is going to require some Remodeling to get us to where God wants us to be. I have to train (ok - remodel) my body to be able to climb the mountain. I've always found that as I take on new challenges or step out in faith, God uses it as a time to Remodel me - and I still don't like the process very much, but trust God's plan far more than my own. If it were up to me, I'd probably just keep the messy pieces covered up, but thank God that He won't settle for less than what He sees in me.
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild hat house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew those jobs needing doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage; but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
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