Reason #78

"Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction." (Wikipedia)

I thought my life was ruined. Ruined by one devastating act. Ruined by a decision, well, a series of bad decisions. Left in a state of "disrepair due to deliberate acts of destruction." Broken down. Lying in shambles. Who would want this? No one will see any beauty, any redeeming value. No reason to stop and look. They will only see cracks, chipped pieces. What was there is no longer standing. Will they see what could be there? It's too late now. Ruined. Ruined beyond recognition? Ruined beyond repair? Could this be rebuilt? And I didn't figure it could so I just tried to throw dirt on top to cover it up. If I was going to be lying in ruins, maybe they could be hidden ruins and no one would see. No one would find out. I prayed again and again that He would receive the glory but to do it in a way as to not revealing the ruins.

And He began to excavate, to unearth. To dig up and expose the ruins. Expose the destruction. He wasn't going to let me lie in ruins, to stay covered up. He knew what had once stood. He created it. He knew what this structure was to look like. He designed it. He began to slowly brush away the dirt that had piled up. He gently dug deeper. He began to reveal the cracks, picked up the chipped pieces. And a transformation began. Restoration. And He saw the value in these ruins because He sent His son to give value to these ruins. He took a long look, without turning away. Not afraid of digging, not afraid of unearthing, of uncovering because He knew what was lying beneath it all. And this was how He was going to get the glory. To show how He rebuilds ruins. 

So I am beginning to be thankful for the ruins. Thankful that complete devastation did not wipe everything from existence. Thankful that I am still standing. And maybe I look a little different. Maybe some cracks might show. But He's dusting and digging and I'm anxious to see what else He unearths from the layers of dirt.

#78 - Because I am not ruined.

‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’ - Isaiah 44:26