Renovation Liberation

When we moved into our house, we swore that the first thing we would change was the unusual choice of flooring in a section of the master bathroom. Carpet. In the bathroom.

But as we settled into life at our new place, more pressing projects and a third baby swiftly bumped the bathroom floor “emergency” down to around #57 on our list of priorities.

Time went on and the odd carpeting no longer bothered us much, it was just a part of the bathroom; it even started to grow on me a bit.

We eventually got around to ripping out the carpet to replace it with tile, and what we found underneath wasn’t pretty. Ok – it was downright atrocious (think one full day of scraping the decay left behind!) Yuck.

Although the damage had not been visible, we knew it wasn’t a great idea to have carpet around all of that moisture. We overlooked the problem for so long that we became immune to it… and the years certainly took their toll.

As the process moved along, I thought about how we can create similar unintentional messes in our lives. We find ourselves stuck in a bad habit, an unhealthy relationship, an unfulfilling job, a persistent “maybe someday,” and we get so settled in where we are that we no longer recognize the need for change. Our circumstance may not look so bad after a while, but under the surface the consequence can grow exponentially.

In my own experience, the challenging areas in need of an overhaul are often the roadblocks to living the abundant life that God has planned. I know freedom awaits if I rip out that carpet rather than stepping over it, but it can be daunting to look honestly at a “growth opportunity” knowing that the next step involves consistent dedication and grit.

For any of us who have a circumstance or habit that is long overdue for renovation, I say we make our move toward liberation. If we embrace the process of improvement rather than just looking at the end result, and pray for guidance and strength every step of the way, we can take any mess and make it new!

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Dr. Denis Waitley