Renovation

We are in the process of gutting out and lathering paint over a quaint cottage in Villa Linda Miller, the community near the Tegucigalpa Dump in which the directors of our project, Pastor Jeony and Jessi Ordoñez live. Many thanks to Michael Miller, our housing hero who graciously lent the place to us. It has a lot of potential, but it also needs a lot of work.

As I discover piles of dirty diapers in what will soon be my backyard, a toilet that needs extracting, and many holes to be filled and closed off to critters, I am simultaneously reading about another sort of renovation….the renovation of the heart.

Dallas Willard talks about removing the underlying conditions that create destructive feelings, thoughts, then actions in us. This process of extracting the dirty appliances that are not of good use is much deeper than simply managing our words or behavior. This involves scraping away layers of old paint to discover the quality of the wood beneath. And I am beginning to ask myself such questions:

(1) Why do I often feel the need to impress those around me?
(2) Why am I never satisfied, but always wanting more?

Renovation is a lot of work. Perhaps, when it comes to heart, a process that never ends. But is a joy to see the original and potential beauty behind the creation unfold.