God always speaks to me in way that I can understand & relate to! He’s pretty cool like that! This week it was about building!
Most of the time when we think of God building us, we (or at least I!) tend to think in terms of a long hard process of constructing something that can then be used and enjoyed. Not a process in itself that is enjoyable – but something worth the time and effort in the long run. A process of making us who we should be and improving the person we see ourselves as. God’s been showing me that His view is slightly different to that!
One thing I delight in more than almost anything in the world is Jabulile Pre-School. A dream that God birthed in me that now stands proudly in Backdoor – a beacon to the community and a life source for 40 local children. I absolutely LOVE it! And you know what, I absolutely LOVED every minute of the building process too because I knew what is was to become. From scraping out the design in the dirt, to the foundations being dug, to the first bricks being laid, to the windows being fitted, to the roof being constructed, to the scraping cement off the floor with a spoon, to the painting, to the opening of the pre-school and the first gradution! I have delighted in every step of the process! I would often get up early and take my tea with me just to sit and watch the builders at work. In the evening I would just go and sit amongst the building site thanking God for the dream and fulfillment. And even now, when the children have gone home for the day and the building seems empty – there is nothing I enjoy more than just dwelling in it and watching the world go by. (Much to the bemusement of others!) I don’t really have words to explain how much I delight in it.
Now with that in mind, there is something very fresh and encouraging about knowing that God is building me. There are still many stages to building – digging up to lay foundations, letting foundations settle, building up layer upon layer… and it is ALL according to the Master’s blueprint. He knows what He is building because He designed it… and He is so excited about the process of seeing us become who He made us to be. There is a sheer joy in building with purpose and then being able to dwell in, to share and use for the Kingdom. He is proud of what He has designed and delights in every stage of development. We are His purest delight. Who are we to knock that?
