April 11, 2017
Filling the Gap
- Bringing Beauty.
(Do not look at the images until you get to the end)
Matthew
28:19-20 The Message (MSG)
18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went
right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission
you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life,
marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with
you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
It never fails that God uses my profession or experiences to
reveal Himself and His goodness. As I was getting my day going I came upon a
message that got me to think about something in my profession....Installing
Tile.
I don't normally refer to what I write as rich, but I've got to
say that this kind of blew my mind.
Being in the construction field for decades, designing buildings
and structures and even doing the physical labor, I have taken it for granted
with my knowledge and expertise. Knowing how to build a wall, frame or wire a
house, how to protect it from the elements, install flooring and drawing
construction documents and understand the codes comes pretty much as second
nature. Likewise as we see God move us we see the journey or situations just
become second nature.
So as I have been thinking about things, the illustration of
installing tile came to mind as today’s illustration about our journey and
gives some perspective to life.
When installing tile there are several things you must take into
consideration.
- The condition of the surface you are installing the tile to.
This includes the material as well as the cleanliness of the surface. If you
tile over wood you are more likely to have more movement than you would over
concrete which may create for cracks or buckling. As for tile to concrete you
will need to use some special things as well as some concrete have chemical
agents which can keep tile from sticking.
- Once you have installed the tile it requires for it to be
separated by gaps and cure over time. Without the gaps and time you can get
buckling with the expansion and contraction of the material it is adhered to
due to change of temperature or moisture (humidity). And without the time you
can find the tiles move.
- After the tile has been laid and cured it requires something
called grout to be installed to fill the gaps. The installation is very messy
as it requires for the grout to be tucked and packed into each gap and usually
is spread over the surface of the tile requiring cleaning after the grout is
set.
Okay, so you may be asking the question of why I am talking
about the installation of tile. Here you go!
Our lives and journey are a mosaic. With each passing day God is
laying a tile in our lives but there are gaps that we have where we don't think
we can get to the next tile He is about to lay. From our very perspective we
just see an ocean of tiles without rhyme or reason. We don't understand the
condition of the surface each tile is being adhered on, but understand this,
God has seen the condition and if He felt that the surface needed a different
tile (experience) He would install it accordingly.
So what about those gaps? It is through the journey that things
seem difficult and we think we can't get to the next tile, but with each
completed and installed tile God has been filling the gaps with His grout of grace.
As it goes on it is packed in and is messy with our tears, but also for one
specific purpose. As we look back we realize how many tiles have been laid and
understand how God's grace has gotten us to the next one and the next one and
the next one. As we reflect we see that the tiles that God had already laid is
less of a pile and more of a systematic organization of something else, but
because of our perspective still have a hard time seeing what He sees and has
been imagining. Others can see the mosaic in progress, yet where we are makes
it so difficult to see things come together yet when we reflect where God
brought us from we realize there is progress.
As we come to the close in our lives God brings us to a level to show His masterpiece. He has filled all of the gaps and has cleaned all of the tile and it is now time for you to be revealed as a legacy for future generations. As we are fully revealed we are put on as a display of the reflection of.........................................................................................
JESUS CHRIST.
(Picture from Peter Palusak)
Never forget that God is laying out the path for you with each
tile He lays and is filling the gaps with His grout of grace to "Finish
that good work He started in you." Live it to the fullest and be excited
about the epic unveiling He is about to do and put on for many generations to
come!
