A New Building on An Old Site
There was a building for sale in a rundown part of town. It had broken windows, graffiti and trash scattered all around. It didn’t look so good. When a potential buyer met with a realtor to look at the property, the realtor said, “The seller will make the necessary repairs and clean up the trash and graffiti.” The buyer said not to worry about it, he was going to tear it down, clear the site and build a new building.
God can rebuild or repair our trashy rundown lives.
Whether it’s a repair project or a start from the ground up rebuild, God can turn ugly into beautiful. We can leave the old rundown building standing, or we can make it a place that radiates beauty. Our part is to decide.
There are a couple of reasons the old ugly buildings are left standing.
- First – We think we’re supposed to be perfect. I’m supposed to have it all figured out. This is what others expect of me. I put on a positive coat of paint on the outside and no one will know. People will let their building fall down before letting anyone see that the structure needs help.
- Second – We think we’re unworthy to be helped. Everyone else has it all figured out, not me. Everyone else knows what they’re doing. People would think less of me if I ask for help. People expect my building to fall down so I should just let it.
We can decide if we’re going to let our building fall into disrepair or not.
In the play “Man of La Mancha” from the mid-sixties, Quixote meets Aldonza, a servant girl and prostitute. She has grown up abandoned and believing she is worthless. He sees her as a beautiful lady that he will serve forever and insists that her name is Dulcinea.
They encounter each other again and he continues to build her up and call her Dulcinea. She questions his seemingly irrational perspective after being beaten and raped by a group of men.
Years later Quixote is dying and has lost his positive outlook, when a beautiful woman that he doesn’t recognize forces her way into his room. She reaffirms his vision and says, “My name is Dulcinea.”
We can decide to be Aldonza or Dulcinea.
God has a dream for our building, whether it’s a clean up or a rebuild. We need to find out what that plan is and get to work. Our dream needs to align with His.
