The Construction Site

I wanted to own a home again. Brand new. I wanted to witness my land transform into a beautiful, quaint and inviting home standing on a firm foundation. My home. From the beginning search to move-in day, it took seven months total. There were moments when I could not envision the final outcome, but I had to trust the plans of the builder. It didn’t look spacious enough at first, and I couldn’t fully grasp how the square footage translated to an actual living space. Most weekends, my family and I would drive to Marble Falls to see the progress of our home. It was exciting to see the foundation poured, the walls go up, the roof, the drywall and the first layer of paint. Our foreman scheduled weekly calls to update us on the construction and answer questions. I looked forward to our weekly check-ins. I noticed that he welcomed my concerns and noted my specific desires along the way. He didn’t judge my lack of understanding or confusion over the process. He continued to point me forward, with contingency plans in mind when things veered from the original plan. When challenges came, like they do, with backordered parts and delays, he explored options and remained focused. Because of this attention, the journey of my home build was filled with grace and hope. On closing day, as I opened my hand and grasped the keys to my new house, I was filled with awe and gratitude; it felt like a miracle. I hadn’t owned a home since moving from New Mexico in 2010. I thought back to the moment the dream was born. I welcomed in the new year January of 2021, with a man I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and the desire budded in my heart. We launched into the process shortly after, and I moved in on September 1, 2021! What a day of joy! Now, as I take walks around our brand new development, I see all styles of houses under construction, and they each are in various stages. The builder and foreman offer the plans, vision, and provide skilled laborers to carry out each step. If something is not done correctly, they start over and fix it; they work together as a team. It is a journey of construction, and eventually the outcome will be a place that a person or family can call home. The construction sites are a parallel to life’s journey. Our lives are in various stages of transformation. I sometimes wonder if others have a team. I ask myself: “What is my role in the “construction site” of others? Am I like a builder to help them create a plan and vision for their life? Can I be like a foreman and walk alongside someone, making sure the plan is implemented? Can I create a safe place for questions and also instill hope and grace? Or maybe I could be like a skilled laborer and carry out a specific phase along the way, seeing it come to fruition. How can I celebrate others when their dream(s) come true? In my own life, I need a team. I need vision, and I need encouragement. It takes time and effort to be there for others. It takes an open heart and humility to receive help from others. The truth is, I will continue to be under some kind of inner “construction” and transformation. There are repairs needed to be done on my heart, new truths to bolster my identity and focus my mind, and maintenance for my body. It's all for one purpose: To make a place I not only call home, but I feel is my place of peace and refuge . Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6