About Tiling and Keeping Things In Perspective

 Well, here it is. This is my basement prior to starting my recent home improvement project, tiling. We had a concrete floor that was stained and had a pattern cut into it. It was fine. It just wasn't what we had hoped for when we set out to finish the basement a few years ago. 

As I spent three weeks working on this project, I had a lot of time to reflect on many things. I won't bore you with a series of "things I learned while tiling," but I will do just this one. 




My friend, who does home renovations, advised me on how to get started and how to use patterns to divide the basement into two sections: the family room and the rest of the basement. I have tiled before, but never this large of a space. Anyway, I set out on the project and, with the help of my wife measuring and marking tiles, got the basement finished! As I cleaned the tile, I noticed something....my spacing was off in some spots. "Oh no!," I thought. "I've messed everything up." I was so frustrated. I took the time, did the research, was careful in my cutting and I still failed. Then I stepped back to get a different perspective. You know what I noticed?
 It didn't stand out so much when I stepped back. I couldn't see it so clearly. 

I heard an illustration about a pebble recently. Basically the speaker said if hold a pebble 1/2 inch away from your eye, the pebble will completely obstruct your view. You will see nothing but the pebble. If you hold the pebble 18 inches from your eye, you will see that it isn't so big. However, if you'll throw it down onto the beach, you will see it for what it is...nothing more than a piece of dust.

I think our failures, our sin, our disappointments, and our struggles can become like a pebble or a closeup look at my basement floor. When held up close, it is all we can see, but when we take a step back and put it against the light of God's grace and mercy we see it for what it is. It is a part of our ongoing journey to something more beautiful. Thinking like this doesn't make it hurt less or make us feel less guilty, but we are all on a journey. I hope your journey is one that leads you to become rooted in God's love. I am reminded of Isaiah 41:10, 

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Remember, you are on a journey. Your current circumstances, good or bad, are part of your journey. Embrace them. God will sustain you through it all, and you look back and see something more beautiful than you could have imagined. 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV)