Tuesday, March 11, 2008

I'm still in the A's

I may never get out of the A's.....(see my "A" words post a few days ago if you're not getting this!)

For the past couple of days He's had me meditate on "Architect and Builder". When I typed in "architect/builder" in my Bible study tools one verse popped up.

Hebrews 11:10 "He (Abraham)was looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God." I look forward to that place....that heavenly home. But for right now, these words take a little different meaning.

In my pre-mommy days I worked for a fairly large retail contractor. The corporate headquarters are in Chattanooga and our specialty was/is shopping malls. However, we also built some pretty awesome corporate facilities and a huge amount of warehouse space for nationally known clients. One of the last projects I had the honor of seeing begin was the minor league ballpark in Chattanooga..such a cool project. (Go Lookouts!) It has now been nine years since I worked there and they have grown and expanded like you wouldn't believe. After a brief glance at their website, I see they have an office in California. Not bad, not bad......

I guess this is why these two words are so precious to me. Architect and Builder. They don't exactly scream precious or tender do they? Probably not to you, but to me they speak in a different way. A way that brings tears to my eyes and wonder to my heart.

I see the process. I see an architect sitting at his desk, tools in hand and a picture in his mind's eye. I see hours upon hours of planning. Sketching each intricate detail. He so tenderly makes sure it's just right. Each part of the process has to be perfect. There is no room for error. As important as the beauty of the final product is, the details of the core of that structure are 10 times as important. He knows the exact location of each beam, where each pipe is to be placed, and each wire to be run. There is nothing about this building unknown to him.

And then it begins. The site is prepared, the debris removed and the building process begins...I see those architectural drawings come to life as each trade takes their detailed, individualized set of plans and does their part to create this new structure.

The process is hard. Things don't always go as planned. Maybe it rains for weeks on end. Maybe the steel doesn't arrive on time. Maybe a subcontractor just doesn't show up when they are supposed to. But......

After years of planning, months of the building process, endless hours of meetings and conference calls, a lot of sweat and even a few changes along the way.....it's over. Done. Completed.

You stand back and look at the finished project and can't help but say wow...look what we did.

I'm not sure I can fathom how that architect feels at that point. Can you just imagine him standing at the curb looking at the structure in front of him? This massive thing was a picture in his mind's eye just a short time ago and now... here it is.

Architect and Builder...that is my God.

He has thought out plans for me and for you. (Jer. 29:11) He has very specific details that are vital to the construction of our lives and the work He has for us to do.

Sometimes we don't follow the plans do we. We wind up adding something that is just not on the original drawings. Can I tell you something really incredible about our Architect and Builder? He can take care of those things we "add on". It may take time, and it may take a whole lot of sweat, but He can correct it. I know because He has had to correct a few things in me!

Architect and Builder. MY personal Architect and Builder... YOUR personal Architect and Builder.

I want Him to look at my life and say "Now THAT is what I saw in my mind's eye when I thought of Stephanie."

Not for us Lord, not for us, but all for YOUR GLORY.....

13 comments:

Fran said...

That last little bit put tears in my eyes Stephanie!!

And...His patience is just beautiful isn't it??

I fell in love with Him again. Thank you! :)
Blessings~
Fran

Chadwick said...

Hey beautiful!! Just thinkng about you this afternoon.

I love you.

Amy Wyatt said...

This is a beautiful post. When you were talking about things we add on, I thought of that funny line in Sleepless in Seattle where Tom Hanks is an architect and is talking about his client wanting to change so many things in the design and how it slows down the process but he can do it. Don't we do that to God too?

Amy Wyatt said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
BethAnne said...

Beautiful words about an awesome God.

Cheri said...

Great post Stephanie. It amazes me all that God IS!!

God's girl said...

Thats beautiful. I love that.
Love you!
Ang

Darla said...

Very well done!! I love the whole plan thing, I was a quality assurance manager for a military company making parts for figther jets, helicopters and patriot missiles and some other things that we still aren't allowed to talk about...but always amazed when working with prints(drawings), that if you stick very close to it, the result will be the picture...the only thing I would change about your post is "God is looking at and thinking of YOU all the time, 24/7.

Leah Adams said...

Great thoughts!! Those words remind me of the Bible study we are doing about the Old Testament tabernacle. God was the architect of that and He told Moses to build me a tabernacle just as I will show you. It was an earthly copy of some so magnificent that is found in heaven. Now, that is an ARCHITECT!!

Have a great evening.

leah

DeAnna said...

Absolutely beautiful post. When I try to fathom what the finished product of my life here on earth looks like to God, boy do I want to see it now! But, God knows in His inifinite wisdom that my earthly mind would not be able to handle knowing all at once the Canaan that He has set forth for me. So, He is constantly, patiently re-drawing, building and molding even when my change orders come in to make the final product be what He wants it to be.

Carol said...

Beautiful!

BethAnne said...

Hey!!! You out of the A's yet?

Shari said...

This post reminds me of the verse I read last night in 1 Corinthians - "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." Vs. 1:31

My latest blog post is about Evangelism ideas at Easter. I'm telling everyone about it, because I think that Easter and Christmas are awesome times of the year to spread the word about Jesus.