The Kingdom of God is Like…

The puddles on the floor started the saga.  Whenever it rained, my sunroom floor was wet.  Over the years, time had taken it’s toll …the seals of every glass in the enclosure were in need of being re-sealed.

Rain came again, and so did the puddle.  Hmmm…  A problem with the flashings between the sunroom and the house was discovered.

Every day challenges of life prohibited the contractors from coming for weeks and the puddles continued.

One night I am awakened around midnight with loud banging coming from my bathroom cupboards.  Thinking it was a cat trapped inside, I opened the door to a possum’s glaring eyes and ragged teeth!  Rude awakening!  The next morning required digging in the snow for bricks to wall off the opening so he could not welcome himself into my home again!  A week or more pass before I can get Animal Control to respond.   The trap was set and a hole discovered under my outside deck that he had used to make a nest near my fireplace as well as find entrance into my home.

A couple days later, the animal control arrived to haul off the unwelcomed critter right as the contractors arrive.  They were shown the hole under my deck, which led them to take the shingles off the side of the house, which was in the same area where the problem with the sunroom flashings were.  And there displayed was a wall covered with white splotches on top of black mold!    So, let’s see what is happening on the inside of the house.  Yep, behind the large wall hanging above the fireplace is a one and half foot circumference of mold that has seeped all the way through!     The wall must come down.

In the ongoing labor, holes were discovered along with 2 nests that had been built within my wall.   Approximately 18 inches of insulation had been chewed off of the wire going to the outside flood light.  Evidence of a fire remained, bringing declarations regarding how my house could have burned down!

Mold is removed which is better for my compromised immune system. The inside of my home has a new wall, fresh paint with a nice ‘pop’, and freshly painted floor boards.  The hole in the bathroom under the tub is professionally addressed.

The outside wall is not quite finished due to holidays, rain, the family member of the main worker in the hospital, sickness of the contractor ….  But we are getting close.

But talking of rain, there was another puddle!  The work was far enough along that this should not be.  All the work was dry when examined.  So where is the water getting in?   Water under the cat tree revealed a ‘soft’ wall.   Soft enough that a little pressure resulted in a finger going all the way through the wall!  Yep- more internal damage is uncovered!  The original workmanship from over 10 years ago was not quality work.  “Particle” board was used rather than wood. Flashings were upside down.  Caulking had not been done on the nice looking stucco base that all the windows were set in.  Water had been slowly leaking to the inside over the years undetected. The base on which all the glass is sitting in my beautiful circular sunroom is deteriorating!   The replacement parts are not to be found.  The sunroom companies only install and will not get engaged to help figure out how to do restoration.   The saga continues with banging, dirt and dust, dirty drop cloths, men coming in and out of the house. And uncertainty it is still to be determined whether or not the sunroom needs to be dis-assembled!

BUT ALSO in the midst of it all are the Fingers of God, along the obvious footprints of Shalom.  The Orchestrator of my history, who holds my times in His hands, is present .  The One who is able to incredibly bring good into the mix!

The puddles led me to get a needed uncovering started.  The possum led us to the hole under the deck, which required the dismantling of siding so that the mold nightmare could be revealed and cleansed.  Better for my health!

The ‘lateness’ of the Animal Control was a way to orchestrate the discovery at the right time for the contractors.

I got to see evidence of God’s protection- maybe having angels step in as firefighters- to keep my home from burning down.

The Home Insurance Adjuster has been ‘backed up’, so has been very generous so far in letting my contractor send photos and emails confirming the need for repairs and cost, and so far paying out more than $6500.

There is enjoyment and appreciation growing between myself and the workers.

AND the beauty of Christmas and Easter cacti  blossoming wildly among the drop cloths, dust and tools!

Yes!  I am experiencing God- who immerses Himself into our messy world and journeys.  God who is capable of uncovering the effects of destruction in our lives, bringing needed restoration out of chaos.  A God who is about redemption, beauty and life.

I do not know how the story will continue.

I do not know if the insurance is willing to cover the new problem which could mean the dismantling of my sunroom.

I do know that mess lies in my future.

I do know that God has entered my world in remarkably good ways.

Evil keeps on encroaching in our world!

The kingdom of God is God’s divine conspiracy:  Immersing Himself into our messy lives to bring about restoration beneath the ‘white washed’ covers of human mortality.  Bringing life out of death.

And I may partner up with Him, immersing myself into the kingdom of this world, so as to bring beauty and life into the darkness others are living.

This is what the kingdom of life is like.