Near the road I drive each day on my commute to work is this ramshackle building that is in a tragic state of disrepair. Its wood is weathered and dirty, the roof is damaged, and it’s almost completely overgrown by out-of-control foliage. You can barely see but the tiniest glimpse of the building as you drive by. It kind of has this Old West vibe to it with its construction style and wooden facade. It was probably a really cool place back in its day. But here it has sat vacant and lonely for at least 15 years, slowly falling into ruin. Every morning and every evening for the past few years, I look at it as I drive by and think, “That could be a nice place if someone made time to clean it up.”
A few weeks ago, as I was driving in on my way to work, I looked over (as I habitually do) and noticed that some of the untamed trees seemed to have been trimmed back a bit. It was a subtle difference—almost unnoticeable—but certainly recognizable considering that nothing had changed there in so long. I thought it quite curious and wondered what was going on. When I left work for the day and again drove by it, I saw a little more of the foliage was gone and a commercial dumpster was sitting in the road next it. Hmmm…what could this mean?
As I have driven by this building over the last few weeks, I see each time that a little more has been done. A dead tree came down. And then another. And another. And the massive thicket and weeds were cut down. And then the ground was leveled and the soft brown of pure dirt was visible. And the giant old stumps of the once unruly dead trees were pulled up and hauled away. I could finally see the building in its entirety—it was a lot more interesting and unique than I had thought. I didn’t realize just what was hiding beyond the mess. What had been thought of as a lost cause (a match and some kerosene would have been my solution to cleaning it up) now showed promise of restoration.
I think people are like that, too. There are fears and failures, disappointments and shortcomings, and a whole host of other junk that slowly grows up in our lives. and when it’s all left unchecked, that stuff becomes unruly and out of control. It can get so bad that we feel like our only option is to abandon what’s left. But just as this property can be and is being restored, so it is with us. The thing is, it’s not an overnight transformation. This property wasn’t completely cleared in one day. It’s been a process—a slow, steady one that wasn’t obvious at first, but as time has passed, is plain to see real change afoot. Little by little, bit by bit, a transformation is occurring. I am excited to see the result. There is still much to do, but it all started with a simple cut to the dry branch of a dead tree.
It’s been said that you have to start somewhere, and that certainly is true. Whether we begin pruning our own forest or help someone else with theirs, the biggest and most important step we take is the first one. And then we take another. We move one shovelful of dirt, and then another. Somedays we make more progress than on others, but as we keep working through the small things, restoration becomes more tangible and exciting. We are able to look back upon where we were and toward where we are going, and there’s a sense of purpose and a drive. We celebrate our progress and look forward future change.
So start somewhere. Don’t look at the mess in front of you and cower under discouragement and hopelessness. Move a rock. And move another tomorrow. Or, if you see someone else whose life has become overgrown and seemingly unmanageable, be an encouragement and grab your shovel. Help them celebrate little victories and point out to them just how much further they’ve come since when they began. There’s junk in my life that I’ve been slowly discarding load by load, but I see the promise of what will be and I am eager to put the finishing touches on the fruit of my labors.
While I believe that there is a lot that we can do on our own and through the strength and support of others, my faith has proven to me that when I have only a garden spade and a massive mound of mess ahead of me, by trusting in God and asking him for help, he shows up with a bulldozer and a better plan. What I think should first need to be taken care of might not be the best nor the most prudent thing. Trusting in and relying upon his experience and wisdom, and through his strength I am able to move mountains and see what was once dead come alive in ways that I had never expected. There is still hard work to be done on my end—a lot of work—but having blueprints and a master engineer as a guide, the transformation becomes so much easier and rewarding.
“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:3
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12-2
“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” – Matthew 19:26
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6
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