Building a Palace

A week ago I joined the Dunlap United Methodist Church.  It has been a big decision but one that I am finally at peace with.  There are many good people at DUMC, and they have embraced me as a sister and friend.  I am thankful for their love and encouragement in my journey.

Joining this church reminded me of one of my favorite word pictures, created by C.S. Lewis in his famous Mere Christianity.  Here is what he says:

Imagine yourself as a living house.   God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense.  What on earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself.

All my life I have been a part of Baptist churches.  My Baptist cottage was comfortable and cozy, and I had decorated it to suit myself. And no matter what changes come to my life, the Baptist room will probably feel the most like home.  

And then things began to change.  After those many years in that cottage a new wing began to be developed.  That wing was my Canadian wing, my Camp of the Woods wing.  My world got bigger, and my cottage took on a new shape.  This Camp of the Woods wing is simple and rugged, but it has the most amazing view.  It is coming along quite nicely.

Then one day, much to my astonishment, a completely new construction was thrown into development.  This newest addition, this Methodist wing, is also coming along.  It is not as comfortable as I hope it will be someday, but that will come as I get the decor and the furniture right. I am learning to choose the right colors and tones, but it really is whole new color scheme than the ones I have used in the past.  And I have found some great friends who are helping me to get it all arranged in a proper way.

I never imagined the transformation my little Baptist cottage would undergo, but I am amazed at all that has been added to my life in the process.  I am thankful for all the friends and acquaintances who have come along to inhabit these new areas.  I can't wait to see what new construction might lie ahead.