Casandra Martin

They stick up out of the tops of the houses, looking like rusty straws poking out of white milk cartons. On my recent trip to Israel and Jordan, one of the most interesting sights was the pieces of rebar jutting out of the tops of houses all over the countryside. Rebar is a piece a steel reinforcing rod that is inserted into concrete. It makes concrete stronger and more stable.

Everywhere you turned, rebar stuck up in the sky. Whether it was a small house by the side of the road or a villa surrounded by olive orchards on the hill, rebar was part of the design. It made the houses appear unfinished, and gave the entire landscape the look of an overgrown construction site.

Finally, we asked our guide about the rebar. He explained that the rebar was left in place in case the family decided that they want to add on to their house. The rebar is there because they are planning to grow. When the son takes a wife, the family will add a floor to the house to create space for the new family. If they need extra room because they have been blessed with many children, they are ready to expand. When the family, for whatever the reason, takes a new shape, they are prepared to adjust and grow accordingly.

What a neat picture for us. They are willing to live with “incomplete” today because they want to be prepared to grow for tomorrow. We are in such a hurry to be done. We hate the idea of anyone thinking that we don’t have it all together. In reality, we are under construction. Our lives are testaments to the truth that God is at work within us. It is a building process that will take a lifetime. Being willing and prepared to grow into the next stage is essential.

My Jesus Resolution today is to embrace the rebar in my life – the places where God is still working. They are the construction points that are visible for everyone to see. There are rough patches God is still smoothing, broken places He is still mending, and places for growth that He is still stretching. I am not going to be embarrassed that I am not “done.” What God is building in my life will last into eternity. Letting my rebar show can make me feel a little vulnerable and exposed, but it also tells the world that I am willing to let His dreams take shape in me.