Several years ago, I remember driving down the road and I saw a shop that was being renovated. I am so used to seeing signage that indicates that a building is closed due to renovation. And it wasn’t that I never saw such a sign before. But on that particular drive, the sign that read “Open during construction” struck me so profoundly that it stuck with me ever since. I was reminded of this when the market across the street from my home put out their signs that read “Grand Opening!” Some of the signs had a very tiny "re" in between those words. The “re” was so small that I couldn’t see if from afar. So I thought it just said Grand Opening. I remember when I first saw those signs and I thought…how is it a Grand Opening? They were never closed.
Undoubtedly, you’ve encountered a business or two that opts to keep their doors open while their facility gets a face lift. It allows them to still cater to some of their consumers, even if they don’t have as much product available as when the business is unobstructed. It also allows them to remodel or upgrade while they remain open and thus not lose too much business. When I think about my neighborhood market, I saw that clearly. (Especially since it’s right across the street! I could hear it too!) Even though bulldozers knocked down a nearby building that they acquired, construction workers yelled, trucks drove back and forth, entry drive paths were closed or narrowed, and much more, the steady flow of business remained. I know what you’re thinking. Of course business remained steady. It’s a grocery store! But there was another one less than a minute drive down the street. People had options!
All of this reminded me of how I occasionally hear people say when they “get themselves together” they’ll go to church. Here’s the thing though. “Church” is not the main event. I’m not “getting myself together” to go to church. I go to church in order to get myself together. I go so that I can get dressed and be ready for the main event. I believe that’s why “Open During Construction” has always stuck with me. If someone struggles with pride, it may be difficult to acknowledge the battle that rages between our flesh and our spirit. We can’t begin to conquer such a war independently and we should have no desire to do so. I would much rather the one that created me be the one to help me get ready. Yes, even as adults, we have to acknowledge that, in this case, we can’t get dressed by ourselves!
I love nature! I dabbled in gardening for a while, even doing a little studying and research with Professor Google. Not enough to consider myself a master gardener or as one with a green thumb. But I planted a few things. Mostly veggies and flowers. But that is the extent of my knowledge. Planting seeds and providing plants water. When it comes to diagnosing a problem with a plant or with the soil, that’s out of my depth. But if I try taking on the role of one who has the expertise, when in fact I have none, then I’m going to cause some serious damage. And some of it may be irreversible. Man is swayed and even deceived by the outer appearance. There are a ton of gorgeous looking weeds out there! God, however, looks at our heart. What’s in the soil. What’s springing forth? If it’s weeds, then that indicates there is a problem beneath the surface that needs to be uprooted. Who better to tackle that than the vinedresser?
So when I remain “Open During Construction”, I acknowledge my imperfections and the fact that God is doing the renovating on my behalf. Every day, God is pruning, uprooting, planting, nurturing, and doing whatever He needs to do in order for His fruit to remain in me and not be choked out by weeds. If I shut my doors or close off access to my garden, then I run a greater risk of every fruit bearing branch in me being choked out and dying. Step back, don’t dictate the strategy, and trust God’s process. He’ll have you looking brand new in no time!
Stay Sunny!
Suggested Readings:
Comments