Still “Under Construction”

Don’t become so focused on what’s unfinished that you miss what God has already built. We are all still under construction. Let’s take a look.

Philippians 1:6

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In my last blog post, I shared how the slow drive-bys in our new neighborhood eventually became conversations. Conversations became friendships. And friendships eventually gathered around a firepit and over cups of coffee. God had given us neighbors before He gave us guests.

The guests were beginning to arrive. People were actually booking Chateau Mariposa. I’ll admit, every time that little booking notification appeared, it was exciting.

Carmen’s response was usually:“Someone booked!”
Mine was slightly more practical: “For how many nights?” Hey, I was spiritual…but I was also paying the mortgage.

And as more guests began walking through our doors, something happened that I didn’t expect.

They started showing us something about Chateau Mariposa that Carmen and I could no longer see.

We Knew Too Much

Living at the Chateau created an interesting problem.

Carmen and I knew too much.

We knew every wall, floor, beam, and repair. And we knew every project that wasn’t quite finished. We knew where the imperfections were because we’d probably created, uncovered, repaired—or attempted to repair—most of them ourselves.

It was impossible for us to walk through a room without seeing something.

“This place is amazing!”

Wait. Are we looking at the same place?

They saw beautiful floors – I remembered sanding them.

They saw exposed beams – I remembered Carmen, my little spider monkey, up on the scaffolding painting around them.

And they saw charm – we saw receipts from Lowe’s and Home Depot…lots and lots of receipts.

And outside? We weren’t even close to finished. Every outdoor project seemed to create at least two more. I was beginning to suspect the property was reproducing projects while we slept.

They Saw What We Couldn’t

Our guests didn’t know any of that. They walked through the front door and saw…beauty, character, warmth, and comfort.

They walked outside and saw…trees, space, privacy, and peace.

While we were looking around, thinking, “Look at everything we still need to do…”
They were looking around, saying, “Look at everything that’s already here.”

Same house. Same property. Two completely different perspectives.

And slowly…their eyes began teaching us to see our own home differently.

Instead of seeing bedrooms, we began seeing places where tired people could rest.

Instead of seeing a dining table, we saw families reconnecting around it.
And instead of seeing a backyard filled with unfinished projects, we began seeing people sitting beneath the trees…
Laughing, talking. Celebrating, and praying.

Or maybe…
doing absolutely nothing at all.
We stopped seeing only a house. We began seeing a place where people could breathe.

Then God Turned the Mirror Around

And that’s when this stopped being a lesson about Chateau Mariposa. Because I started wondering…

How often do I look at myself the same way?

I know too much. I know my mistakes, my failures, my insecurities, and my rough edges.

And I know the things I wish I’d done differently. I know the habits God is still working on. And I know where the drywall is cracked and where the paint hasn’t dried yet. So when I look at myself… it’s pretty easy to see the project list.

Maybe it’s hard for you to see past your project list, too.

We become so focused on everything God still needs to do…that we forget everything He has already done.

But God sees something we often don’t. He sees what He’s already restored, what He’s building, where we’ve grown. He sees who we’re becoming.

Maybe we’re simply standing too close to the renovation to see the progress.

Don’t Miss the Beauty

Our guests began teaching us a lesson without ever knowing it.

We saw the work. They experienced the fruit.
We saw what wasn’t finished. They saw what had already been accomplished.

And eventually God began pressing this truth into my heart:

“Don’t become so focused on what’s still under construction that you miss the beauty of what God has already built.”

That’s not easy for people like my wife or me…maybe it’s hard for you, too.

I tend to see what needs improving…

• What’s next?
• What could be better?
• What’s the next project?
• The next goal?
• The next thing God needs to change in me?

There’s nothing wrong with growth. We should want God to continue transforming us. But there’s a difference between recognizing there’s more work to do…

and failing to celebrate the work He’s already done.

Sometimes we need to stop staring at the scaffolding long enough to notice the building.

God Uses Unfinished Things

For much of my life, I think I’ve carried an assumption:

Finish it first. Then it can be useful.

Get everything cleaned up. Get everything figured out. Fix what’s broken. Become more spiritual. Deal with your issues.

Then…

God can use you.

But Chateau Mariposa was teaching me something completely different. God was already using the property…

…while we were still working on it.

The backyard wasn’t finished. The landscaping wasn’t finished. Our plans weren’t finished. And we certainly weren’t finished.

Yet people were already coming. They were resting. Laughing around the table. Drinking coffee in the morning. Reconnecting. And experiencing the very thing Carmen and I had prayed they would experience:

Peace.

Apparently…God isn’t nearly as intimidated by unfinished things as we are.

The Asbury Revival

A few years ago, something happened at Asbury University in Kentucky that reminds me of this.

After what seemed like an ordinary chapel service, a small group of students simply stayed. They lingered. They prayed. And they worshiped. There was confession and repentance.

These weren’t perfect young people who had finally gotten everything in their lives cleaned up enough for God to use them. They were still becoming—still struggling, still growing, still under construction.

Yet they had hearts hungry enough to stay when everyone else was leaving. And from that small group of unfinished people came an outpouring that continued for sixteen days and touched tens of thousands.

Maybe that’s another reminder that God isn’t waiting for us to become finished products before He works through us. Sometimes He’s simply looking for people willing to linger in His presence and say, “God, I’m not finished…but I’m here.”

I Was Unfinished Too

Then I looked backward. And something became painfully obvious. I had been unfinished through every part of this story.

I was unfinished when Carmen found me.
Unfinished when God drew me back to Himself.
Unfinished when we moved to Florida.
And I was unfinished through the business struggles.

The lawsuits, the apartment years, and the mistakes. The crazy decisions that somehow eventually brought us to this place.

And somehow…God kept using me anyway. Maybe that’s grace.

God doesn’t wait until the renovation is complete.
He works through imperfect people. People with scaffolding still standing, with unfinished rooms, and people with rough edges.

People who are still…
…under construction.

Don’t Confuse Unfinished With Unusable

Maybe you’ve been waiting. Waiting until you feel more qualified, more healed, more confident, more spiritual, or more prepared.

Maybe you’re telling God:

“I’ll serve when…”
“I’ll lead when…”
“I’ll invite people in when…”
“I’ll take that step when…”
“I’ll let You use me when…”

When what? When you’re finished?

I’ve got some bad news. You might be waiting a while. We’re all still under construction. Philippians 1:6 doesn’t say God finished a good work in us.

It says He began one…and He will continue carrying it toward completion. That means there’s supposed to be some scaffolding. It means there will still be projects.

And it means:
Don’t mistake unfinished for unusable.

God can use you…while He’s still working on you.

Your Everyday Life

Maybe you’ve spent so much time looking at what’s still wrong that you’ve forgotten to notice what’s different. You’re not where you want to be.

Okay. But here’s a different question:

Are you where you used to be?

Think about it. What has God already changed, and what has He restored? What have you survived, and what have you learned?

Where are you stronger, softer, more patient, more compassionate, and/or more dependent upon Him?

Maybe today isn’t the day to pull out another project list. Maybe today you need to walk through your own life with different eyes. I’m not saying you ignore what’s unfinished. But finally noticing…
what God has already built.

This week, instead of looking only at how far you still have to go, look back at how far God has already brought you.

🎵 “Evidence” — Josh Baldwin

Challenge of the Week: Take Another Look

This week, instead of asking God what needs fixing next, ask Him: “God, show me what You’ve already built.” Then write down three things.
Three areas where you’ve grown.
Three things God has restored.
Three ways you’re different today than you were a few years ago.
Thank Him for each one. Celebrate the progress. And then…leave the scaffolding standing.
God knows it’s there. He’s still working. And according to Philippians…He’s not stopping until the job is finished. So be it.

What is your journey like?

My journey started like a parallel journey to the Prodigal Son – Luke 15. This, as you can see, is becoming quite the journey. Jump into my journey with me, now 16 weeks along, and see what your journey looks like as we walk life together. Here are the links where you can go back and jump into the journey with me:

• When Love Found Me – This is the introduction to it all.
• Before Love Found Me – God was pursuing me before I knew it.
• God at a Distance – I was looking in the wrong places.
• When God Broke In – God met me in my brokenness.
• After the Tears – Following Jesus became a shared journey.
• Packing Up Faith – Obedience required leaving the familiar.
• Making Room – God transformed our home into a place where others could encounter His love.
• Trusting God’s Hand – Even when it doesn’t make sense.
• When You Think You Need One More Miracle – and no matter what, God does it again!
• From Waiting to Wonder – Sometimes God does His greatest work in places we can’t wait to get out of.
• When God Colors Outside Of The Lines – Creating our own boundaries and limiting God.
• This Is The Way – God is whispering to you, “This is the way, follow Me.”
• Seeing What Others Can’t – When God shows you something that others can’t see…yet.
• Redeeming The Ruins – Where we see ruins, God sees redemption. Discover how He transforms broken places into something beautifully new.
• A Story That Started Before You – Sometimes what we think we’re starting is actually a story God has been writing long before we arrived.
• Ministry is a Firepit – Sometimes ministry is simply making room for others to feel seen, heard, and welcomed.