Encouragement

Renovations

by Emily Van rijn
04/21/22
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

My husband has just started to renovate a part of our house. To do this he took out a wall. Breaking it down made an awful lot of noise! Lydia, our youngest with Down Syndrome, was terrified. As soon as the noise would start she would put her arms across her chest, as if trying to keep herself safe. Her eyes would fill with tears, and as soon as the noise would stop she would clap and exclaim, "Yay, yay, yay, yay! Finished." As a mum, it was pretty heartbreaking to see how scared she was when she wasn't in danger and know that she didn't understand what was happening. No amount of explaining on my part would help her understand, so instead I stayed close and gave her lots of hugs in the loud moments. 

I also felt a small amount of fear as I saw my husband take out that wall. Unlike Lydia, I understood what he was doing. But still there was a little bit of concern. "He's not a builder. Does he know what he's doing? What if it doesn't turn out well." I had to remind myself that he renovated the rest of the house years ago and did a great job--not to mention The Little Haven! I had to trust him to do a good job again.

Renovation means change. It means lots of noise, mess to clean up and disorder for a while. It means adjustments. It also means something new and good which is why we do it in the first place!

Our lives also need renovating by God. We may need a new perspective, new love for Him and others, a new skill, a new ministry etc. For Him to do that, there will be pain, tears, and fears. We need to trust that He knows what He's doing, that He is making something beautiful and remind ourselves of the good things He's done in the past. When we don't understand, like Lydia, we need to stay close to Him and trust our Heavenly Father. He will give us comfort just like I comforted Lydia.

"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you;..". Isaiah 66:13

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5