Where do you need to slowly rebuild?

I recently had the joy of listening to a Pastor-friend share about his ministry experience overseas. He recounted the hair-raising tale of an elder-gone-bad and explained that, by God’s grace, he and that elder were working on slowly rebuilding their relationship, even though all trust had been broken and a true betrayal had taken place.

You know when something simple hits you square between the eyes?

Of course. Slowly rebuilding. 

Three times recently something’s caused me to reflect on how some transformation happened in my life. One was a college girl asking how I’d found freedom from the sinful-eating patterns I struggled with in college. I wished I could point to some distinct moment of freedom, some “breakthrough” or experience that really “did it” for me. And certainly there were milestones, but really it was (and is) just years of making better choices, choosing honesty, praying, honoring God. A million little choices rebuilt my body-image and eating.

The second and third situations were reflecting on how a relationship came to be transformed (that wasn’t good but is now). Again, I wished I could say it came through some “magic moment” — a heartfelt talk or tearful hug. But in both situations, the answer really is just a slow and steady change. A growing. A building, brick upon brick, of trust, love, kindness, humility, grace.

Things change because we change. 

Oh, sweet friends, aren’t we always looking for the quick fix? So often I wish some sermon or some prayer or some hard conversation will just transform a situation in a fast and wild whirlwind of miraculous grace.

And God does work fast miraculous grace. He regenerates us in the blink of an eye.  He’s not slow. We are. 🙂

And He’s patient. He works with us. He changes us slowly, authentically from the inside out. The long process, of freedom from a sinful habit or of rebuilding trust in a damaged relationship, the process takes a million tiny choices. But the beauty of this kind of change is that it’s real. It lasts. It’s not just makeup, slapped on the blemish before picture-day.

He actually changes us from the inside out.

So often I have stared at a situation, lamenting that it isn’t “fixed.” But could it be that I’m wasting time lamenting when I could be building? What choice today can I make to slowly rebuild a broken relationship? What choice today can I make to stop a habit of sin? What choice today can I make to trust instead of worry?

A million little choice equal a magnificent transformation.

I’m not sure what is more amazing, that God can instantaneously perform a miracle or that He can weave a million little things into  a miracle.

Whatever way He wants to do it, I want to be part of that miracle.

Of the million little choices, which one is yours to make today? {Thanks for reading…}