Recently I heard a story of a high school that had just paid for a new track. After a few short months, the track was completely unusable! The foundation that was laid settled, redistributing the top material, making the lanes uneven and crooked. The school had to tear up their brand new investment and start over. In the same way, I started with a faulty foundation, spiritually speaking, and had to be torn up and rebuilt.
Slumped over a hotel room toilet one afternoon, I began to cry. I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the bowl, wiping the floor, and my pride just couldn’t take anymore; it broke. I wanted to lay my head on my arms, but I could only imagine the germs that covered my gloves from who knows how many rear ends!
I am smart! I am a hard worker! I have a Bachelor of Science degree! I lived in Australia for six months, and I am on the floor scrubbing toilets!
I didn’t remember the verses at the time. I don’t know if I had read them yet or not, but I discovered later the Bible says, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall in Proverbs 16:18. I didn’t think I was a proud person, until those words came out of my mouth. I felt convicted. I didn’t want to be scrubbing toilets for a living. However, I tried to do life my way the first thirty years, and I was disappointed. So as I cried I surrendered. In James 4:10 God’s word commands us to humble ourselves before the Lord and let him be the one to honor and exalt us. In the short time I have been walking with my heavenly Father I have noticed he does not wait long to reward obedience. I made the decision to surrender first. Then, I felt peace. I was given the ability to accept my position and finish my job because somehow, I was given the assurance this would not last forever.
Often times I read or hear things that are really good! I don’t remember where I got the information, but it was really good so I held onto it! Well, one of these times I remember a preacher saying we are not human beings having a spiritual experience with God. We are spiritual beings having a human experience on earth. There have been many times the Lord had to break up the faulty foundation of my pride, independence, and stubbornness. He had to destroy the foundation I built so he could build a better quality one that would last longer. During one of these times of renovation, as I closed my eyes and prayed, he showed me a vision.
I saw a precious porcelain teacup on the floor in pieces; it was shattered with dust and chips everywhere. Then I saw two large manly hands reach down. Gently the hands picked up the pieces of the teacup and swept the dust into a dustpan. As he lifted the dustpan to the wooden table, the pieces softened to become more like modeling clay. The hands picked up the pieces and dust, and began to press them together, shaping and remolding the softened cup. When the hands opened, the teacup was like brand new; it had a new shape, and was shiny and clean and beautiful again!
Renovation hurts sometimes. Growth hurts. Change hurts, sometimes learning hurts. Honestly…I am a woman. At times, everything hurts, and I may let you know it! However, I have not yet once regretted letting my heavenly Contractor tear up my foundation and build a better one!
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
Katie Nelson Rau 
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