My wife and I are investing some time, sweat, and money into fixing up our home inside and out this summer. And let me tell you, nothing is as easy (or cheap or quick) as you think it should be. Everything is harder, takes longer, and costs more than you plan. It's an investment in more ways than one.
For example, we are updating our kitchen counter tops. I chose to remove the old counter tops and have someone else install the new ones. Sounds easy enough. Then came the corroded hot water valve to the sink that would not shut off. Cut the pipe, put in a new valve. Then came the screws holding one corner of the counter tops down that I could not get too. Out comes the hacksaw. Then the clamps holding the sink in place were the design of some sadistic engineer who obviously never intended to use them himself. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and dig in harder.
Eventually, the tear out was done. We expected new counters in 3 days. Nope. It's going to be at least a week. Probably longer, knowing how these things work. And now we are without a kitchen sink, dishwasher, microwave, or any counter space. The toaster and coffee pot are homeless, and every available horizontal surface elsewhere is now worthlessly occupied by kitchen refugees. It's a bit of an inconvenience.
Life is like that sometimes.
Just as home improvement often takes more investment than we planned, so does self improvement. Both also usually involve a some degree of inconvenience, and even a little discomfort. Tearing out the old is hard, whether it's 40 year old green Formica counter tops which have been repainted twice, or 40 year old bad habits which have been hidden from public sight. And getting the new delivered, or developing good habits to replace the old always, always takes longer than we want or plan. But that's just the way it is.
A good life doesn't come easy. And by good life, I mean a life marked by right attitudes, strong relationships, rewarding occupation, and close fellowship with God. Those are some of the qualities of a good life, and every one of them takes work not just to establish, but to maintain and, occasionally perhaps, remodel. A good close look at our lives will reveal what needs updated. You just have to be willing to see.
In the end, it all pays off.
In a week (or two, or . . .) my wife will be thrilled with her new kitchen, everything will be back in place, and joy will flow like a fountain. Those investments of time, sweat, and money will be rewarded. Just as every investment I have ever made in improving myself has paid many times over what I put in. It's a hard process to go through, but it's worth it.
How about you?
Do any of you have any home or self improvement plans for the summer? If so, I wish you God's speed in your labors, and may all your contractors keep the schedules they promise when you make your deposit.
Yeah, good luck with that one!
Life's like that sometimes.
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