Good Bones

I like watching home improvement shows (makes me feel like I’m doing something besides watching TV). Shows like, “This Old House” and  “Holmes On Homes” are my favs.  These shows depict situations where homeowners are living in a home that needs updating and renovation.

When the experts first come on the property and start looking around, they often use the phrase,

“This house has good bones”

This statement mostly refers to the basic design of the home, along with the materials used in building of that home and whether things were done according to local building codes. If a place has good bones it warrants that the money, time, and effort invested will not be in vain.

What’s a regular part of these shows is the removal of prior mistakes and/or shoddy workmanship. As things are ripped apart you can see the worry on the homeowner’s face begin to appear. I mean, this is their house.  Their home.  They may not like some of the defects, but either because of a lack of understanding or money, or both, they’ve grown used to them. 

The best moment in these shows is when Norm Abram and Kevin O’Conner, or Mike Holmes, bring the homeowner into their home for the first time after the project’s done.  You can sense the joy and thankfulness people have.  I’ll never forget one lady who grabbed Mike Holmes and said, “This is what I always wanted this place to look like!”  Then after a pause, she said, “Where were you 20 years ago?!”

Paul was very transparent to the Christians in Corinth about how he had lived prior to coming to Christ.  He had been an enemy of the Church and the gospel message.  Listen to these words,

“For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

Paul is saying that once God stripped down the things in his life that were defective, and grace recovered the mistakes and replaced the shoddy workmanship, he could say, “By God’s grace, I am what I am.”  In other words, “This is the life I always wanted!”  Wonder if he then asked, “Hey God, where were you 20 years ago?!”