A Different Perspective, Sunday edition, Victoria Advocate
My husband is a contractor who’s built many houses over the years, along with countless remodels. We’ve lived in two new construction homes, but we needed something different when he semi-retired. Our son found a house not yet listed and called his dad. “I’ve got a place for you to look at—don’t bring Mama.”
The first visit boggled our minds. To say it was a fixer-upper was a massive understatement. The floor plan made no sense, and it smelled so bad we stepped outside to breathe again.
But after we saw it, Dave appeared deep in thought more than once. When I prodded him, he said, “I’m thinking about that old wreck we looked at.”
So was I. Despite the vandalism, weird remodels, and crazy floor plan, it had a decent-sized shop, plenty of space, and the price was right.
As horrible as the inside appeared—holes in the sheetrock, years of accumulated debris, and that obnoxious odor—I wasn’t worried. If a project is beyond him, he’ll say so, but if it’s not, I can trust the result to be functional and lovely. So we found a bank that would work with us and set about redeeming the old wreck. Actually, we figured out the remodel in stages. In six months, he knocked out walls, turned a bedroom into a dining room, converted a bathroom into an extended pantry, and created a new laundry room. He installed a bathroom in the master bedroom—no, it didn’t have one and built a new kitchen. Then he hired more than one crew to get rid of all the barbecue-red color on the exterior and fresh new interior paint.
We moved in just ahead of the COVID shut down and had plenty of time to unpack and decide where to put things during the isolation period. We realized there was little to no storage space at that time, so he utilized his shop and made several cabinets.
During that time, some of the fun was the response of our neighbors. They had seen the house misused, empty, and neglected for years. They were thrilled to have the eyesore restored and welcomed us as best they could.
It was a win-win. I call our new place Redemption House, and it tickles me to explain how truly awful it was before the restoration. In all sincerity, our neighbors tell us they could never have imagined the change.
Even though this was the restoration of a house, God is willing to give us a second chance too. Or as many as we need. Scripture says he makes all things new—even us. When we invite him into our hearts, he begins a work. He strips away what’s unproductive in our lives and rebuilds us into something beautiful. It isn’t always easy, but the result is a fresh life in Christ for all who believe.
Occasionally, I’ll find a piece of trash from before the restoration. I throw it away because it doesn’t belong. It’s like that with my new life too. When an ugly thought or bad habit tries to creep back in, I discard it like trash. Any homeowner will tell you there’s always a project to be done. Just like the house, my life is always a work in progress.
Redemption is one of my favorite words. It’s been a joy to turn an old wreck of a house into a home. As sweet as that is, it’s nothing compared to gaining a relationship with God.