Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old
has gone, the new is here!
The old house echoed with loneliness. The floors sagged, and
the lighting cried to be replaced. As we walked through the abandoned place, we
wondered what we were getting ourselves into. No one had lived in the home for
a few years. The sharp smell of emptiness made me cover my nose. But when I
walked into the middle room, I spied potential for a cozy place to create
memories with my family. A lovely built-in tea
cupboard reminded me of the
beauty the old place once had. In the front room's bay window, I imagined a
twinkling tree covered in ornaments. Then there was the porch with the Victorian
ginger breading, a wonderful place to contemplate and pray.
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| A beautiful home we saw on vacation |
With help from our families, we made the old house livable and spent many years there celebrating life together.
The other day my husband reminded me how much people can be
like an old, forgotten house. Hearts may echo with loneliness. Neglect of our physical,
emotional, and spiritual needs cause us to crumble and fall apart. Our
foundation cracks and the walls shift. Sounds depressing. But it doesn't have
to be.
Jesus recognizes the potential he created in me, just as I
saw the possibilities in that old house. We filled the rooms with laughter and
love. Jesus fills me with peace and hope. We built new cabinets, repaired the
roof, and painted the walls. My Savior gave me purpose, poured his grace over
me, and mended my soul. The Holy Spirit continues to work in me, because like
an old house, repairs and upkeep are a necessity.
Jesus was a carpenter, a fixer of the broken; mender of the damaged. He still repairs hearts with his generous, abundant grace.