Living in my Grandparents’ former home allows for many quirky finds and an assortment of house projects for Mike and I to navigate. My Grandfather was known for the philosophy that “if a little works, then a lot is better,” which now translates to twice as much work for Mike and I to dismantle some of his handiwork (i.e. removing excess dried glue, sifting through layers of insulation, or removing nails that were placed every 2 centimeters apart). We have shared laughs and groans over his attention to detail and his commitment to doing the most thorough job possible.
That being said, my Grandfather was a true craftsman, and many of his woodworking masterpieces grace our home with beauty and character. Whenever it comes time to remove some of his work that has served its purpose, or reconfigure a yard installation that he cleverly constructed so many years ago, my heart grieves a bit at losing another small mark of the full life he lived on this earth.
Just last weekend, Mike and I were tidying the back corner of the yard and breaking down some wooden structures he had created as the wood was now rotting and the nails were rusted. With each nail or screw that I removed, I considered the intention and thoughtfulness he carried as he had hammered it in. It struck me that there was love involved in both the creating and the dismantling, and both produced beauty in the end. My Grandfather conceptualized and crafted a piece of art for his backyard, and so many years later, I removed and disassembled that piece, to clean that space and allow room for new growth.
It’s a less comfortable concept to consider how God might demonstrate his love by deconstructing parts of our lives, but I think it may be some of His most sacred work. And when the dismantling is done in love, which His always is, the result is always (eventually) beauty and growth. That work often brings grief, pain, and confusion, which can all be felt in conjunction with hope for what is to follow. My prayer is that His expression of love woven throughout his work will provide the comfort and empowerment to weather the pain.
I invite you to meditate on Jesus’ words in John 15, that illustrate his work of pruning and burning in love and invitation for growth. He begins and ends this passage with a promise of bearing more fruit-a promise of hope.
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
About the Author
Britni is a quiet but fearless spirit who is earnestly seeking the beauty of the redemption that Jesus has personally determined for her life. Committed to the truth that listening breeds understanding and understanding results in compassion, she clings to the power of life’s stories. She has embarked on the venture of discovering her own story and lending an ear to the stories lived out in others and savors the trace of Jesus that is woven throughout them all. Currently, that journey has landed her in a balancing act between the role of wife, momma, and a mental health Care Coordinator.