Still Under Construction
I live in a war zone. Not a literal war, but in a brand new neighborhood, filled with concrete trucks, plumbers, electricians, builders, hardhats, Don’s Johns and a supervisor that sounds like Tony Soprano. As I tried to navigate this work zone this morning as I was walking, I was thinking about what a house looks like before it is ready for move in. I was also reminded of the song by Sidewalk Prophets called “Keep Making Me.” The song refers to the mess we often make of our own lives, and the lyrics ask God to make the songwriter broken and lonely, as He gently builds him up to maturity. In other words, he/we are still under construction. He isn’t finished with us yet. I relate to that completely!
Most of us have been lonely at one time or another in our journey. Sometimes it’s that we’ve chosen to be single, or chosen to live alone. Sometimes we isolate. Some of us have also been broken, maybe even beyond description or recognition. Looking back, perhaps that is just where we needed to be. When we are by alone, with our empty selves, that is where God often meets us. It’s in the stillness and the silence that we can finally hear what He is saying or what steps He wants us to take. Solitude can be great, but it can also be scary when we don’t seek the right guidance. I remember numerous times in my own solitude, often at 2 am when I could not sleep, that God just simply told me to rest. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). It is so comforting to know He’s got me covered.
Brokenness is not a fun place to visit. When we are spiritually broken, that’s when God can finally “fix us.” I spent many years trying to fix myself, fix my family, heal my grief, build my career, plan my future, and I failed over and over again. Truly, at one point, I felt like a filthy rag doll that was tossed in the trashcan, never to be used again. And then God showed up. You see, He is in the business of construction. He puts out the danger/warning signs. He has all the right tools. He doesn’t let us take shortcuts. He gives us the right armor, to protect us. Sometimes we try to mend our own brokenness by stuffing it, numbing it, or ignoring it. God is very clear in scripture that He has a plan for our lives, and He has not given up on us:
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1)
If you are lonely, allow the only One who can meet your needs fully do that.
If you are broken, allow the only One who can build you up and put you back together do that.
If I’m honest, I realize I am still under construction. God is still at work. How grateful I am that He doesn’t give up on me before the work is completed.
