My Builder's working on me

Throughout this year, it feels as if the walls in different parts of my world seem to be knocked off time and time again. The rebuilding has been taking a lot of time and it has been definitely very exhausting as well for me personally. Just when one wall has been almost completed, another wall seems to be torn down. Of course, I could never have done the rebuilding alone. My Builder was at many times alongside me even though I had quite a few arguments and was rather unhappy at times. I also had help from specialists that He sent. Each specialist helped to build the different walls of the structure and I must say that I am truly grateful for them.

From where I stand, the debris are still all over the place, but the emerging structure seems to be more solid and even more beautiful. The thing is, I really hated it and even was devastated when all the renovations started. I was just happy with just repainting, just doing some minor repairs or just maintaining the structure. After all, I was quite comfortable with the old structure. However, my Builder seems to have had other things in mind - as He so often does - and the unsound walls just had to go.

One of the things that have resulted is that I've learnt to appreciate certain parts of the structure where I used to despise. There was one structure where people have even told me that they thought was bad. I wanted my Builder to tear it down time and time again and I was hoping that He'd do so since the rennovations are quite extensive. However, my Builder keeps on telling me that He refuses to remove that part because it was always in His plan and that it was an essential part of me. He got in one specialist who had a similar structure to help me understand that it is good and to even learn to love it.

There was another part of the structure which I couldn't understand and was even afraid of for a long time now. I was amazed when He sent another of those specialist to help me appreciate it and that it was a gift from Him. The specialist gave me some great ideas of what I could do and helped me not to be afraid.

In the last few days, the Builder seems to be deciding that another wall might have to come down. Things seem to be uncertain at this point. Of course I'll be devastated if the wall has to come down, especially since it might mean losing two specialists that have been helping me hold things up, but I am continuing to learn to trust that my Builder knows what He is doing. The funny thing is, you know the structure that I've come to despise? Somehow, because of this, I'm learning to actually like and even appreciate it. Again, my Builder knows what He is doing and though sometimes He doesn't tell me everything (He seems to love to surprise me sometimes), I'm figuring out that what He does is good.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity."