Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We slept in the barn—where horse manure, pigeon droppings, and water damage used to be.
Some very dear friends of ours, Larry and Denise, bought some property in northern North Carolina near the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, an empty pasture with a ramshackle, vacant, unused two-story barn was all that remained from a functioning horse farm.
When Larry first toured the property, the barn disgusted him. Accumulated moist mud, manure, and hay covered the floor. Years of water damage streaked and buckled the walls. White stipes of pigeon droppings blanketed everything. Flies noisily buzzed the stalls. A musty smell of neglect and decay assaulted the air.
Most of us never would have bought the property. Even if we did, we would have torn the barn down, hauled off its nasty debris, and replaced it with a brand new building. Tada! New creation! But Larry envisioned a far greater future for this run-down, neglected, nasty building. He knew what needed to be replaced and what could be cleaned up and reused. With keen eyes, he saw the invaluable potential of its sturdy interior. After several months of cleaning, replacing, building, painting, and planting, the renovated barn now stands as a gorgeous, cozy, useful home surrounded by God’s mountainous beauty. It is a new creation from a decayed past.
God’s Transforming Touch
Drifting off to sleep in what used to be the hay loft, I thought about the barn’s transformation. In that sleepy haze, God whispered, “This barn is a lot like you. Your life was a wreck. It was marked by years of spiritual neglect and sinful decay. Yet, just like Larry transformed this barn, I am transforming you. I know your potential. I’ve cleaned you up. Additionally, I rebuilt the broken areas. Now I am restoring you to what I know you can be. Just as you are now inside this renovated barn, My Spirit lives within your restored, renewed, and refreshed heart and life. So, enjoy your restored ‘after.’ But never lose sight of your ‘before.’”
God makes all things new. His creation genius is unbounded. He removes our smelly yuck and repairs wounded souls. Thankfully, He cleans up sinful lives, strengthens weak areas, and helps break bad habits. Yes, He is the Master Craftsman who forgives, purifies, revives, strengthens, and commissions us. All we have to do is ask for His help, be open to His transformation, and available for His work.
Lord, thank You for Your transforming renovation in my life.
