You just never know what you will find when you clean out an attic or a basement.  According to scripture (2 Kings 22:8-11) while renovations were being done on the Temple in Jerusalem, the workers found a copy of the Law of Moses that had been long forgotten.  When the text was read for king Josiah, he was grieved because he realized how far Israel had wandered from following God’s ways.  The first thing Josiah did, after hearing the law for himself, was to have the scroll read aloud to the people.  What came next was a nation-wide house-cleaning and demolition.  All the altars and idols to false gods were found and destroyed.

While I was on vacation, I moved our washer and dryer from the basement to a closet up on the main floor of the house.  (How’s that for a romantic anniversary gift?)  Before I could move the plumbing or route the new gas line and dryer vent, I had to do some demo.  I had to take the plaster and sheetrock off the lower half of the wall in the closet I was converting into a laundry.  On HGTV, this always looks like great fun, with everyone swinging sledgehammers with abandon and reveling in the chaos.  Needless to say, I took a more careful and measured approach.  But still, the house was filled with dust and grime.  The first stage of the project didn’t look like an improvement, but if I hadn’t done it, I would never have completed the job.

Sometimes, the first step towards new growth is demolition.  Often we have to tear out old ways of looking at ourselves and others before we can see the truth that will set us free.  Sometimes we have to demolish our mental images of God before we can see the divine mystery more fully.  We have to deconstruct long-standing habits if we hope to cultivate new ways of living and relating.

The churchy word for this kind of demolition is repentance. 

What do you need to tear down in order to be built up?  Are you willing to see the old ways of life broken up and carried to the dumpster?  Do you want a new life bad enough to let go of the one you already have?

Here’s the real issue: it’s God who gets to decide how to do the renovation.  When you let God in the door for the reno there’s no telling where the hammer will swing.  Having faith in the carpenter from Nazareth means trusting him to do the job his way.  There will be some messiness!

Prayer:  Lord, you may as well take it back to the studs.  Help me to cope with the mess while the work is underway.  Amen.