Is God renovating your home?

A few months ago, we embarked on a home renovation adventure. Changes outdoors, and some updates indoors. We debated paint colors, backsplash tiles, and countertop stone choices. Additionally,

we made a host of other smaller accessory changes to update some rooms that were in need of a revival.

The process had it's share of demolition, clutter, frustrations, and finally, satisfying moments as we saw our vision come to life. There are still a few small things that may need to be tweaked, but overall, the bigger renovation pieces came together as envisioned.

The week after Thanksgiving, I started decorating for Christmas. It seemed like everywhere I went, a popular seasonal decor item was mini gingerbread look-alike houses made of wood, metal or ceramic. Ones that can be adorned with lights or made to shine from the inside with tiny LED lights or candles peeking from the windows. I even got a couple of stocking hangers that were tiny homes. I'm sure some may have a whole Christmas village on their mantle or console table. This year, my mantle ended up with a gingerbread wood home and stocking holder homes. Here's a glimpse.

As I'm decorating, and looking at my mantle, I'm thinking about homes all lit up for Christmas.

I'm also pondering homes getting renovated and the process we had been through, not so long also. I'm reminded of the demolition process, especially when we finally removed a 70s era mirror. Beneath it were 2 layers of wallpaper, and we laughed at the shiny gold one from that era that had been hiding

behind the mirror all those years. Soon, we weren't laughing all that much when we discovered that it wanted to stay stuck on the wall and make it quite tedious for us to strip away. It took a lot of effort to peel back the layers so we could repair the drywall and repaint the wall. Removing tiles from the old kitchen backsplash was a similar story, and we had to get professionals in to repair the drywall before the new, shiny, glazed tiles were added. At last, all the peeling back and stripping was worth it - no more 70s wall paper or stubborn backsplash tile glaring back at us! It was finally ready for the updated look with new tile, light fixtures, mirrors and other accessories.

As I thought about removing stubborn wallpaper and tiles that didn't come out on the first, or even the second try, I though of the similar process that happens in our hearts. The process when God reminds us of a layer or two from the past, (or maybe, even from a more recent time) that we may have forgotten about, that might still be stubbornly stuck there. The layers that might need to be brought to the surface, examined, and stripped away in His process of pruning and healing us. The layers that have to go in order to make us ready for the new things he has for our lives. The places in our hearts that He comes to renovate and make whole so that His light might shine more brightly through us. The places that His perfect renovation process has brought Shalom to (wholeness or nothing missing, nothing broken).

I'm reminded of this quote from C S Lewis' Mere Christianity:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

This Christmas, let's be ever grateful for the Prince of Peace who came to redeem, renovate, and bring Shalom to our hearts. Let's lean in and surrender to the King of kings who loves us and is in the process of "building a palace" rather than a "decent little cottage." Emmanuel, who is God with us and gave us His Spirit who lives inside us (His spirit fused with our spirit, forever). Who comforts, counsels, and transforms us from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18). Let's be forever awed that He chose us to be homes that host His presence and reflects His light and glory on this earth. While we celebrate His coming this Christmas, let's continue to shine as we await His glorious return and our forever home with Him!