Building a house is a process. A very long process. Especially when you build it yourself. It takes ambition, time, and money. And sadly, it takes all three at the same time.
Whether you are building a new house or remodeling an older one, you can probably relate to the feeling of living in a constant construction zone. It isn’t always the dream life you imagined it would be (or saw on HGTV).
As we finished painting the walls, adding indoor plumbing, and installing the floors in our newly built house, I remember telling my husband that we couldn’t move in until everything was completely finished. I had this awful feeling that once we settled in, all projects would come to a halt. Fast forward almost 4 years and we still have projects that haven’t been crossed off the to-do list. It isn’t that we came to a complete stop, but things have moved slower than we planned. At times that bothers me more than I care to admit. But over the past year, the Lord has changed my heart in this area. I am sharing today because maybe these are things you need reminded of also.
This is not our forever home.
As nice as it will be when we have finished this house which we started, it is only a temporary dwelling place during our life on this earth. And what is our life? A vapor. A mist. I often put far too much energy, emotion, and money into something that is fleeting. That being said, anything I find to do should be done as if working for the Lord. In other words, I will be careful to be a good steward of the time, talent and treasure I am given and use it appropriately on this house project. It isn’t my biggest life ambition, but it is something I can do to bring glory to God. We are open to sharing our humble abode however God asks and it doesn’t have to be finished in order to do this. God is in the business of using a “work in progress.” ‘I look forward to my forever home, but until then, there is much work to be done on both our earthly house and for the Kingdom.
Focus on what has been accomplished.
As in other areas of life, it is easy to see all the unfinished or unappealing stuff. My eyes are drawn to what I want to finish and make more beautiful. My mind is preoccupied with what isn’t right or what hasn’t gone according to plan. When I begin to get discouraged about all of the unfinished projects, I need to take a moment to realize how far we have come. There are precious memories to relive as I ponder the process of all we have accomplished. I can choose to be thankful for the progress that has been made so far instead of becoming consumed with the unfinished projects that loom in front of me. Just because life isn’t going according to my plan doesn’t mean I have somehow failed. God’s ways are higher than mine. At the end of the day I pray for His will to be done, use Biblical wisdom in how I live, and trust Him fully with what I cannot control.
When we moved into our house, we didn’t have the master bathroom started, trim around doors or windows, steps up to the loft, or even a kitchen sink. We spent the first 3 weeks doing all of our dishes in the laundry room or kids bathroom! Honestly, it made me appreciate having those things more after living without them for a time. Delayed gratification can be quite humbling. It is also a good reminder of how sanctification works. It isn’t instantaneous. In fact, I know it is a lifelong process of transformation which won’t see completion on this earth. Heaven is my final and forever destination. There is a significant amount of patience needed for the time in between. This house-building experience has taught me much about my spiritual journey and is a good reminder of practicing diligence mixed with grace.
Finishing all the projects will not make our house a home.
A house is made of walls, floors, windows and material things. A home is made of love. We could live in our unfinished house for the rest of our life and call it home because of who lives in it. Someday I would like to complete all of our projects, but not at the expense of missing out on memories with my children and giving generously to help further God’s Kingdom. Time is precious. Money doesn’t grow on the trees in my backyard. It takes patience, plenty of prayer, and a heart changed by God to give me the proper perspective of this life. Priorities are much clearer through the lens of eternity.
We want to make our house a home by including God in everything we do. Without Him, we cannot experience true love or unity. He created the family unit and will sustain us when we are too weak to press on. When we built our house, we made sure to place it upon a firm foundation. We desire the same type of foundation for our home- Jesus Christ. Everything we say and do will revolve around His Word and His ways- for His glory.
We do still have a running to-do list regarding house projects. With each passing year, we try to cross a few off as completed. We are so grateful for God’s faithfulness as we live our life to glorify Him. He has provided all we need and much more. Whether or not our house is ever completely finished, it will always be a reminder of the goodness of God. We have had so many opportunities to teach our children life lessons through our house-building experience. We could tell you numerous stories of how He provided exactly what we needed at exactly the right time. Our prayer is that this house will be a refuge of love for our children as they grow into adults. We ask the Lord to bless all who enter our home, whether it be for a minute or a month. This may look like just another custom built house, but we aim to make sure it is not just another typical home.
