The Secrets We Keep

 Fire blazes and lights twinkle and outside, bitter-cold rages as darkness falls while inside, I sit safe and toasty and lose myself for a few in a favorite home renovation show. I've never been one who really liked home remodeling programs until recently - there's just something about seeing beauty brought to a tired, old place and new life restored to something broken and left to the dump heap. 

The historian in me also loves seeing what secrets these old places have to share... the stories of bygone eras and previous owners that lie hidden in the walls and empty spaces of these homes long built. Some of the discoveries are just downright fun and cool: perhaps an engraved message or initials, old wallpaper that's been covered up for decades, original woodwork or design forgotten for centuries and just now uncovered. 

But other times, the secrets aren't so pretty: a inside wall taken over by bees busily making their honey and running their hive undisturbed; hundreds of rats in the attic leaving an unpleasant oder in the house; floor joists rotted through and just waiting to give out with one more footstep walked across them; moldy, crumbling closets with years worth of dust piled up. 

This is the dirty work the contractors sign up for when they get hired to renovate and restore such spaces. They agree to uncover whatever they may find and do the uncomfortable stuff in order to fix and resurrect the life left in these homes. The end goal of a livable, lovely home is worth the trouble, time, and money necessary along the way because you can't get there unless some gross things are dealt with. 

And I'm realizing as I watch, that our lives are a lot like these old homes. Left for the history pile and given up for good, God comes and decides to do a restoration. To take the bones of what is left and turn it into a residence for Himself. A thing of beauty only He can imagine. But the reality is, we're also co-operators with Him in this process and, unless we're willing to have our secrets exposed, we won't become the people we're meant to and we can hinder His vision. 

I think of how many bees might be living in my walls that come out and sting those who invade too closely. Or how many rats might be living in the attic that send out unpleasant scents and give the clear message that nobody is welcome here. Or how many times I've kept covering up rotting joists with new tile and flooring, pretending I am stable and secure when I'm literally falling apart underneath and am too ashamed to admit it. 

We all keep our secrets and we all hide our worst things we're ashamed of and, while we know they don't belong, we either aren't willing to go through the painful process of having them removed, or we've given up hope that the renovation process is worth it. 

 But can I give us all some hope today by saying that Jesus isn't scared of any of it! He isn't overwhelmed at the project and thinking we're a hopeless case that's not worth His investment. He's so set on turning us into something incredible that He's willing to do the work on us in order to get there. All He asks is that we work with Him... 

Let Him into the dingy spaces. Let Him into the broken places. Let Him clear out the bees and the rats and the mould and the dust. Let Him shore up our joists and make us safe and secure. In short, let Him invade. Let others who are helpers, invade. Let love invade. 

For when you've experienced a full-on hope intervention, you realize that you don't need to close up around your secrets and hide in your shame. You're willing to be opened up because the One who opens you up also binds up your wounds. 

We've all been the derelict old place we think nobody wants. We've all been surprised by Grace when we discover Somebody loves us enough to go to great lengths to fix us and make us new. And if all these things are true (which they are) then keeping secrets is pointless. Because we've been fully known and seen all along. And still chosen anyway. 

Someday, we'll look at ourselves and we won't recognize who we've become. Because that's Jesus' way. To give us all the makeover we could never give ourselves or each other and turn us into something useful and beautiful for His glory. To become a prized possession that He's proud of and brings Him joy. 

You and I are works in progress and no good thing ever did happen overnight. We just need to keep reminding ourselves that when ugly things come to the surface, it's just evidence God is cleaning us out. Bringing things to the light so they can be dealt with. And, with every stinky, stingy, wobbly part that gets dealt with, we grow stronger. healthier. wiser. better. 

We have secrets and hiding places - this is true. But we also have a God who is making all things new. And that, friend, is why we can entrust ourselves to this renovating, sanctifying journey called life.