Recently, I was listening to the latest Relient K album, and the chorus to their song “Local Construction” is insanely applicable to my life in this city: “Fix the car, fix the house/ Fix the flaws in myself/ It’s never done, no no/ It’s never done, no no/ Like local construction”
In America, signs and announcements for when construction will take place are displayed at least a week in advance; here, a text from a neighbor letting you know you need to get your car out in the next 10-15 minutes as construction vehicles will soon be tearing up the road outside your complex is the norm (true story from a teammate). There has been roadwork on a street I frequent regularly ever since I arrived. I never know if the road will be open to foot traffic or if I will need to take the long way around (which adds an extra 20 minutes on the walk). Local construction is never done, no no.
Moreover, there seems to be an endless list of repairs for household appliances and apartment maintenances. By the time something gets done on the to-do list, two more items have taken its place. Fix the house – it’s never done, no no.
Prior to moving to the other side of the world, I viewed myself as a pretty decent person – I understood the doctrine of sin and all that, but on the whole I thought I was doing pretty well in the whole sin department. However, living in a completely different culture has revealed many of the parts in myself that still remain as broken and dirty as the local road under construction. Recently, my women’s Bible study was discussing Matthew 20 and the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. We were asked to ponder this question: what are some ways that God has been generous with you – when you’ve been the last worker and given undeserved wages? I struggled immensely with this question because I can hardly acknowledge that I’ve ever even been the last worker. However, I can certainly identify with the first worker – I’ve been a Christian my whole life and even left everything behind to move to Southeast Asia – don’t I deserve God’s blessings? Haven’t I earned them?
It is hard for me to admit that I feel as though the God who created the whole universe and sent His Son to die for the sins of the world owes me something, but pride and arrogance will do that to you. He pours out unending love and mercy on my life daily, not to mention the undeserved gift of salvation. He blesses me with many good gifts, and when I reflect on all that He has done, my only response is praise and adoration. I still struggle with my pride and arrogance – it is a daily battle, but the Lord is never-changing and ever-loving, and I can trust that He will always forgive when I turn my eyes upon Him. Fix the flaws in myself…it’s never done, no no – like local construction.