Approximately six months ago, I became the pastor of FBC Monticello.  When I moved into my office, I haphazardly threw my books onto the shelves with virtually no appearance of order.  Last week, I spent 12 years trying to find one book…it was probably more like 15 minutes but it certainly felt longer.  I wasn’t exactly humming “Amazing Grace” when I finally found it.  I decided this week to go through my books, organize them, and try to bring order to the cosmos.  It’s a work in progress and about as much fun as your last root canal.  As I’ve spent a fair amount of time at this, I couldn’t help but notice the sound of bulldozers and dump trucks across the street.  More than a few times this week, I’ve stopped and peeped through my blinds to watch them drop off loads of dirt, spread it around, and wondered what in the world they were doing exactly. 

Rumor has it a local car dealership is going in…at least that’s what I’m hearing.  But I would believe it if someone told me it was going to be a petting zoo with 3-legged elephants…yeah I know.  There may or may not be other businesses going in.  Personally, I think a sports store selling University of Tennessee apparel would be a nice addition to our little town…but I doubt the locals would go for it.  🙂

But back to my story…as I’ve watched the bulldozers and dump trucks do their daily thing, the little boy in me has repeatedly wondered what in the world are they doing and how is this mess all going to turn out.  All I see is dark, reddish dirt…and lots of it…piles and piles looking somehow linked together.  Part of me wonders if the guys, or gals, driving the equipment truly know what the finished product will look like.  For me, I can’t see it…and it makes no sense.  However, I know it makes sense to others.  I see a mess, but to those in the know…it’s a plan coming together.

Talk about your spiritual lessons!!!  My goodness…how could I not think about God’s hand in an illustration like this?  I can’t even begin to count the number of times in my Christian life  when all I could see was piles and piles of dirt…mess…disorder…confusion, etc.  I would walk around, scratch my head, and sigh out in disgust at the senselessness of these moments.  But after some time passes, I began to see a plan-God’s plan-coming together.  I would have that spiritual “aha moment” and grin as I wondered why I hadn’t seen it earlier.  I would just about bet all of us have had that happen a few zillion times.

Perhaps today is a tough day for you.  All that is visible are piles of dirt.  Spiritual dump trucks and bulldozers are moving junk around, but you have no idea to what end.  Let me encourage you that our Father in heaven ALWAYS has a plan and is ALWAYS working on that plan…in your life and mine…and the rest of the world.  Heavy stuff, I know…but it’s so important Christians remember this.  In a few weeks, I will be able to look across the street and “get it.”  The mess will start becoming an order that even a knucklehead like me will be able to see.  (I’m praying the same thing can be said of my office and books!)  LOL!  My prayer is that God will grant you that same clarity in your life and that an “aha moment” will come soon…just as it has so many times before.  Blessings dear friends!  Stay Classy Monticello!  🙂