Before & After Shots

Have you ever looked at Before/After pictures of weight loss or cosmetic claims and wondered if they were authentic? Maybe photo shopped or doctored up in some way? I often do. Chances are some of them are, and some of them probably are genuine.

Have you ever looked at someone's before and after snapshots of their life? Ever been around someone who is truly a different person from the inside out - their actions and reactions, priorities, and habits? True change does not happen easily or quickly. Just like with weight loss, it takes time and effort.

A few weeks ago my landlord decided the brick steps to my front door needed a makeover. The men he hired to replace them worked diligently for days. They steadily chipped away at the old bricks for several days. The bricks were stubborn, and some did not want to come up easily. It took much physical labor and consistent work because they were set firmly in concrete.

This is what it looked like when the bricks were removed and the pile of rubble was left. Not too pretty is it?

During this process I was reminded of how God works in our lives to change us, refine us, smooth off our rough edges and make us more like Him. It's not an easy process, nor is it quick or pretty. Some character traits require more work removing or changing than others.

One of the first characteristics that God went to work on me about 15 years ago was a sharp tongue. I could fire off an insult in an instant, or something I thought was funny that others didn't. I became under very heavy conviction that this was something that had to be chipped away if I was going to be used for God's purposes. And of course as the Master Carpenter began chipping away, I had plenty of practice of using my words for good.

Over the last 5-6 years God has done more chipping away on me. Fear was a big one. I didn't even realize I was a fearful person until I was forced in a position to be paralyzed by fear, or to trust God fully, sometimes only hanging on by my fingertips. When God first started chipping away at fear, some days I only had strength to not fear for one day at time. The battle started new every day when I awoke, if I had slept at all. (How to deal with fear can be another blogpost on another day.) Chip, chip, chip....another brick

Grace and mercy: Those who know me well, know I don't always have a lot of mercy. I love people and want to be merciful, but it does not come as first nature to me as it does some people. Through a divorce, and many life changes during that period, I learned it was important for me to show grace and mercy, even when I didn't think I had it in me - and I didn't have it in me. God's supplies our needs according to His riches, and He is rich in mercy and grace. Chip, chip chip....and another brick.

Finances and time: This was a big brick! God expects us to manage our money, time, and everything else He gives us, in a way that honors Him. My ways and His ways did not always match up. Through some serious and painful brick chipping I slowly learned about handling everything God placed me in charge of in new ways, and completely revamping the way I thought about finances especially. CHIP, CHIP, CHIP....another brick.

Teaching high school: When I went back into the classroom in 2007, I really went kicking and screaming. I had loved the part-time job I had been doing while working from home and being a stay-at-home mom. But God had other plans! This chip job took several years to complete. Nine years later I understand exactly why God put me back in a public high school, and while the job is challenging to say the least, I LOVE my kids, my colleagues, and what I teach. Chip, chip, chip, another brick.

Grieving and Loss: over the past few years I have lost five people that were very dear to me including a best friend and my Daddy. That pain and loss does something.  It ushers in a deep sadness and if we are not careful, we allow that sadness to consume us, and those bricks can be excruciating to remove. More chipping away....

Needless to say, there have been many other bricks over the years as well that God has chipped on, and I know there are more to come. But I can look back and say "I look different!" Ephesians 4:21b-24 says, "...because the truth is in Jesus: you took off your former way of life, the old man (woman) that is corrupted by deceitful desires;  you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new man (woman), the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth."

Often our patterns and habits are set in concrete like those bricks. We've repeated the same actions for so long we don't even realize how bad they are. God will certainly use our life circumstances and people around us for opportunity for change. One of my favorite lines from a Jars of Clay song says, "When good things are unraveling, bad things come undone." God will even use those things that are good to make drastic changes in our lives...maybe changes we didn't even know we needed to make.

And in case you were wondering....
Here is what the finished product looks like! So, what bricks do you have that God is trying to pry up? What habits need an overhaul? What are your Before & After shots looking like?