Devotionals for the Heart: Lessons my house under construction taught me

Loving the Work-in-Progress
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”–Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)

Have you ever lived in the middle of a construction project? It’s doable but frustrating.

For the last six months, thanks to a frozen pipe at Christmas that burst above our master bedroom, my husband and I have been sleeping in the guest room.

As I write this, my dresser is in the dining room, my bathroom items are strewn across the dining table, my clothes are hanging in the laundry room, and my normally organized home office has been alternating between the couch and the kitchen table.

And me? Let’s just say my stress level is far higher than usual.

The repair work has taken a lot longer to complete than I expected, mostly because we were haggling with insurance over cost reimbursement, and while I was mostly at peace with things at first, by Month Five my patience had stretched thin. Thank the good Lord the work is just about finished, and we should be in our refurbished bedroom late this week.

Now, let me say I realize we’re blessed to have a house big enough for a guest room, and I’m grateful we have insurance that was able to cover the problem. I know this isn’t always the case.

But having to spend months upon end in a temporary, relatively chaotic living situation, while simultaneously working full-time, caring for our home, and tending to four kids, three cats, and a German shepherd, not to mention nurturing my marriage…Well, I’m ready for life to settle down and for everything to get put away in its proper place.

Part of this is just me and my own emotional baggage. I don’t like clutter or mess. I’m super-organized, and having to live longer than a few weeks with everything in relative disarray is far outside my comfort zone.

But I’m also well aware that maybe, just maybe, God has been teaching me an important life lesson within all this. Sometimes, it’s important to be uncomfortable. Sometimes, discomfort is where we learn the most. For it is in that discomfort that we learn to appreciate what we have, what really matters, and why we are here on earth in the first place.

I remember when I returned from my first mission trip, 11 years ago. Where we stayed in Zimbabwe, we didn’t have running water, flushable toilets, or hot showers. Water had to be drawn from a well. When I got home two weeks later, I was incredibly grateful for a myriad of creature comforts I’d once taken for granted.

Two winters ago, when our power went out for a few days, I gained a new appreciation for central heat, electric lights, and my microwave oven.

When I had the flu last year and finally recovered, I was grateful for a body that didn’t ache and for energy that didn’t peter out just from walking up the stairs.

It’s funny how a little setback can open our eyes. Many of us humans get extraordinarily spoiled and entitled about the way we live our lives, expecting things should always be “this” way (whatever “this” means to you). Then, when things go awry, we’re like helpless infants. Think about how we feel about ourselves. Have you ever known someone who can’t seem to love herself unless things are perfect? She’s either “put together”—the ideal weight, hair perfectly coiffed and nails trimmed, clear skin, and neatly dressed—or she’s “a total wreck”. There’s no in-between. 

Yet most of us walk somewhere in the middle, don’t we?

Why can’t we love the work-in-progress—the under-construction house, the slightly achy body, the partly frazzled real-life version of ourselves—as much as when things are “just so”? Does everything really need to be perfect to be lovable and right? To be worthy?

No, my friends. Not even a little.

Think about how God loves us. Not a single person on this earth is worthy of His love, yet God offers us salvation anyway. Whether you are living in a home-under-construction or not, let’s all pause a moment to savor where we are right now, at this exact minute. We might not be in our dream job, living our best life. But is that even necessary, or important?

What’s important is loving yourself, and living your life, right here and right now in the Lord. What’s important is stepping up each day and saying yes to God, carrying out the purpose He has for you in this world. What’s important is loving others and serving in mercy and compassion.

Nothing needs to be “just so”. We can still live, and love, in the in-between.

Let’s Pray: Lord, help me to be patient when things are not perfect or organized, or when things don’t reflect the vision I have. Help me to trust that You are the calm center even when everything else in life feels chaotic. Thank You for all the blessings You give us, and help me appreciate the messy, wild, unfinished work-in-progress just as much. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Pieces” by Meredith Andrews. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name.

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. She is the author of Feed My Sheep: A 40-Day Devotional to Develop a Heart for Hunger Ministry (2019) and More Like Jesus: A Devotional Journey (2018) and the editor of a number of other books from her newspaper’s Advocate Press, which she helped found in 2017.

She has won more than 100 writing awards and is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Crosswalk.com, Christianity.com, and BibleStudyTools.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies.

Brodie holds a Master of Arts in English, and she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Brodie now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Brodie has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers, and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

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Connect with Jessica:
Website: https://www.jessicabrodie.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaJBrodie
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicajbrodie
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaJBrodie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicajbrodie/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicajbrodie/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicajbrodie

Devotionals for the Heart: Life lessons learned from being under construction

Under Construction
A devotional by Shirley A. Denson

“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” – Romans 8:28 AMP

Over the past few years, things may not have turned out quite as you’ve expected.

It may have seemed like wherever you turned all you saw was chaos and debris. What used to be “normal” was no longer normal, and life as you’ve once known it was a fading memory. It may have looked like everything around you—everything in your life—was being destroyed or taken away from you. Although a lot has transpired, and these past few years may have looked like destruction, for many it was actually construction happening!

You may have seemingly seen your future lying haphazardly in a heap of carnage amongst unfulfilled dreams, delayed promises, and misguided expectations and thought all your dreams and aspirations were destroyed. When you thought you should have been advancing, you may have experienced major setbacks.

You may have felt like you were losing everything, or you may have lost everything at some point. However, there’s nothing lost that God won’t replenish, in abundance. It may have felt like everything you held dear was being destroyed. Though you may have been struck down, you were not destroyed. Destruction is damaging something beyond repair, but construction is building. Even after destruction, something new can be built. Even loss is a part of the plan. God always has a plan of redemption.

Although the effect of deconstruction and construction may look similar, their results are not the same. Destruction is tearing down, whereas, construction is building up. Your life may look like a battlefield right now, but know that God still has a plan. In some instances, some things have to be destructed so that other things can be constructed. Old mindsets, habits, dependencies, tainted relationships, and toxic environments had to be destroyed so that the plan God has for you can come together.

Everything isn’t always the devil, and even when it is it can be worked for good. If you’re having a hard time right now, press into God’s Holy Spirit more. It may not be for your demise, but for your good. You very well may be under construction right now. Things may look in disarray, but from the ashes of the debris something beautiful will be constructed. You can stand in confidence knowing that because you’re deeply loved by God, He won’t let you fail.

His plan for your life will prevail!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, I thank You for knowing my end from the beginning. You knew every detail, intricacy, and detour of my life before the foundations of the world were formed. Help me to trust Your plan through the seasons when things seem unclear. Give me faith to endure until everything works out. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Shirley’s devotional message today reminds me of two songs: “Confidence” by Sanctus Real (Listen to it here) and “God is in Control” by Twila Paris (Listen to it here).

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Author Bio:

Shirley A. Denson is a native of Statesboro, GA. 

She found out at a young age that she had a creative mind and a way with words. Later on in life, she learned to cultivate her passion for writing as a budding author.

Shirley is very passionate about writing. Each book that she releases will be a product of God stirring and cultivating the gift He’s entrusted her with. She has won numerous writing awards/certificates, and is a published poet and blogger.

For the past six years, Shirley has worked as a professional ghostwriter, editor, and author. It is her joy and goal that through print, she might impact lives and leave the imprint of the King.

Visit her website to stay in the loop about her new book releases, current projects, and to read her blog posts.

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Connect with Shirley:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SayWhatEnterprises
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saywhatenterprises/

Devotional by Mary Manners: Under Construction

My dear friend Mary Manners returns to the blog today to share her heart with you! She's written a wonderful devotional called "Under Construction." It inspired me and I hope it serves as a source of inspiration for you too! :)

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Under Construction
A devotional written by Mary Manners

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ~ Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

My husband and I recently decided to turn our back yard to an oasis with the addition of an in-ground pool. As the backhoes moved in to break ground, scooping the earth into mounds of sun baked dirt that rival Mount Everest, I realized that the pool-building process has a lot in common with the road I’m walking…life.

My life’s journey has been an adventure. As I approach the close of my fifty-first year, I realize how precious each moment has become. My daughter entered college three years ago and we’re in a period of countless transitions. The child I once drove to basketball practice and choir rehearsal now chauffeurs me. I have learned, depending on the day (sometimes even the hour), that I know nothing…and everything.

My husband has retired (well…partially) and that has tremendously altered our daily routine. He’s become the chief cook and bottle washer while I trek off to my day job as an assistant principal at our local intermediate school. I hope to join him in partial retirement (I will always be a full-time writer at heart) within the next few years.

Recently, a college friend of mine sent a photo that was snapped our sophomore year (1982). Looking at the photo, I thought my daughter was staring back at me. Was I ever that young, thin and…unwrinkled? My daughter took one glance at the picture and gasped, “Mama, is that really you?” as if I could have never—possibly—been that smiling young woman in the snapshot. And, after a good laugh, I thought about the passage of time and how happy and truly blessed I am to continue down the path that remains…under construction.

So, when your life journey takes you through a period of transition that seems scary and unsure, remember that God is ever-faithful and never-changing. He is right there at your side, today and always.