Under Construction
Have you ever watched a house being built? Perhaps driving by you’ve noticed a new subdivision going up, however, have you ever really followed the construction of a house? I’ve been watching the unfolding of what will become a home for a family. On more than one occasion it caused me to reflect. Since we live in the country, this is a single house, not a subdivision.
Initially, you could not tell what the activity was all about! For weeks, we watched them digging this big hole and moving dirt around. Country construction required the installation of a septic system. Even before that, they had to reinforce the drainage pipe across the ditch at the driveway so the trucks could go in and out with their heavy loads. After a couple of weeks, the land was all smooth and level and you could tell they were getting ready to build. Lots of activity had gone on; hours and hours of labor and all you could see was the flat landscape. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into building a house that this does not even describe the hours of site selection, plot layout and design work! What preparation does God do with you and me before we begin to realize we are under construction?
The next phase of work involved the foundation. Laying a good foundation is critical to any construction project. The plumbing connections must all be placed correctly before the foundation floor is poured. The entire house must be imagined/seen resting on this foundation. They know what is needed to support the desired result. The soil has been leveled and prepared to receive the foundation. This phase of the work can appear slow to those driving by. There is much attention to detail that we cannot see. How does God prepare the foundation of your life? As you seek to serve God, do you spend time and energy investing in a solid foundation prior to building?
The frame of a house seems to go up overnight. You can drive by in the morning and see one framed wall being hoisted into place and come home to see a fully framed house. The shape of the house that is being built is now obvious to the passerby. Even the roofing tresses go up fast these days. The sound of nail guns let one know how fast the work is going. Walls appear, and then the moisture wrap or vapor seal – whatever it is called. There is a layer that wraps the house between interior and exterior walls to help with insulation. Plywood, tar paper and shingles complete the roof. One day there was no house and now there is. It may not be live-able by today’s standards, yet it would offer shelter even at this stage of construction. Spiritually there are times when we might feel like we have been under construction for ages with little to show and then all of a sudden there is a spurt of growth. Our frame and roofing, our shape becomes apparent. Our developing faith is able to provide shelter even though we are still under construction.
The passer by watches to see what the exterior will look like. Will it be brick or wood or some sort of composite wood product? Will it be a mixture of exterior finishes? What will it look like when finished? What color? Will it look good in our neighborhood? There is a new personal interest in the appearance of the house at this stage. When it is not our home, we care more about the external appearance than the internal details of the shelter. Spiritually many are interested in the external appearance of a Christian or of a Church. It is what people see. It is not the home. However, it does have the ability to attract people or attract their interest to get to know the people who built it or live there. If one has not invested in good design and construction, a pretty exterior can cover up a multitude of problems. It might look great yet not be solid and not last long.
At this point, it can seem as if construction has ceased. Driving by, we see little if any changes. We might wonder what on earth they are doing! The detail interior work is under way and it cannot be seen on the outside. Plumbing and electrical work continues. Walls, floors and ceilings are finished out. Prior to the décor touches of the empty house (texturing, painting, carpet, tile, etc.) there is a lot of work to ensure the safe and efficient workings of our modern conveniences. What is going on in the interior life of a person under spiritual construction? We might see the exterior and thing they are “complete” when they are still very much under construction. You might still be under construction! What kinds of things does God work on in you to ensure your safe and efficient operation?
When people are building their own home they often make adjustments during the interior work phase. Once the interior wall frames are up, they might decide to make an adjustment and make one room larger and another smaller by moving a wall. Walking around the framed in rooms gives one a different sense of the space than any architectural rendering could. Problems and preferences can be anticipated and addressed. This can slow down the work however it also can lead to a longer and happier time actually living in the house. What adjustments do you need to make? What have you noticed actually moving around in your construction zone that could be improved for you?
To those driving by, we watch and wait for some external sign that the internal work has progressed or might be finished. Then comes the day when the landscaping work begins around the home. Ahhh they must be about finished! The trucks and the laborers will no longer be going all over the place. Even with the exterior finished, they had seemed to use the driveway much more. Now the landscaping gives shape to the yard and those external finishing touches that give “drive up appeal”. Again, these external touches mean nothing if the internal house is just an empty, unfinished shell. At the same time, a beautiful interior with an unfinished exterior will attract no one. No one would want to buy it and no one would want it in their neighborhood. Both our interior and our exterior are important.
Then comes the day when the construction trucks are gone and moving vans appear. The inhabitants are moving in! We may think we have been watching the construction of this home but they are the ones who really have followed its progress. I am reminded once again that a house is not home. People and relationships make the difference. People can live in a house and it still not be a home unless love is there. All the construction efforts and all the money in the world will not make it a home. Love makes a home. Whether it is large or small, extravagant, modest or simple, it is love that makes a home. How much love have you put into your spiritual construction projects? Does God dwell there with you or have you attempted to build by yourself?
I encourage you to reflect on yourself as being “under construction”. Take some time to journal about this so you can later look at your journal entries and see what progress your construction project has made.
- Are you at the stage of preparing the land, the site?
- Are you laying your foundation?
- Are you framing the house?
- Are you busy with interior work?
- Are you finishing up the exterior?
- What stage of construction are you in?
- How are you and the builder communicating?