What Lies Beneath?

Storm damage is sometimes hidden. This is true in both the emotional and physical storms. I ran across an example of this a few years back when I was looking for a home to buy.

It seemed like the perfect location. It was almost exactly between two of my grown children and their families. It was a lot closer to my workplace. It was the perfect size. And the price4 was right. My daughter, who, along with her husband, was an investor, first discovered this house. She "checked it out" in the early evening when the sun's light was barely adequate. It looked good, except for the need for cosmetic updates. She excitedly called me to set up an appointment to look at it the next day. I could hardly sleep! The search had been long and covered with a lot of prayer. Maybe this was finally my answer!

I met her at the house on my lunch break. The neighborhood was older, but well-kept. The house was on a cul-de-sac with a lovely name. And it was near a community pool! I was sure this was my answered prayer!

I walked in to see her saddened face staring at the floor. the carpet had been pulled up to disclose a two-and-a-half inch gaping crack all across the dining room and living room. The house smelled musty. There was evidence, now in the4 full light of day, of flood damage. Mold. Peeling linoleum tiles. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the fireplace bricks were coming off the wall and the window joints were askew. The ceiling bore cracks as well. It appeared that the house had slid on its foundation. Much speculation occurred without the detailed facts. Had the house been built upon a faulty foundaton? Had the lot been a land-fill not properly assessed? Was there some kind of underground water source that had erupted beneath the foundation? Had a tremor from a distant earthquake caused the situation? We didn't press to find the answers since we clearly were not going to purchase this once great, and now damaged, home. We were not sure it was repairable.

I know there were times in my life when I could realte to that house. My past seemed better than my present, and even my future! There was obviously damage caused bu something not readily identifiable. And I wasn't sure I was repairable!

I have spent much time of my life analyzing myself. I have tried to discover what shook me so badly. What erupted in my life beyojnd my control, which brought about cracks in me? Storms that I did not invite, and in fact at times, had not noticed until evidence of damage emerged. I wondered if I, too, had slid so far from the Foundation that I could not be fixed.

Thanks be to God! He is my Foundation! He is my solid rock! He is unmovable and secure. He4 is my Investor and Creator. He can not onlhy repair any brokeness, He can set me straight again and cause the value to be seen. He is the Healer of the broken. He is the repairer of the betrayed. He had invested His spirit inot my life! What a valuable creation I am!

I do not know what became of that house. I do know what I am becoming. Hie is making me into His likeness. He is rebuilding and restoring a home for His presence; a home of peace, joy, and value. He longs to do the same for you. We are His property. There is never a valuation decline in His possessions! Amen!