When Things Just Don't Look Right

On Monday afternoon I drove over to our house to see how the remodeling was progressing. Tami and I have been excited by all the changes we’ve seen, and with each passing day we are closer to moving back into our fully remodeled home. As I walked into the kitchen and looked at the cabinets with the new floor, I realized that something was not right. The cabinets were not square to the room and it was quite obvious that they were not installed correctly. I’m thankful our contractor was there because he helped me figure out that the cabinets needed to be moved at one end by four inches to bring it to square. This meant that the cabinet maker was off with his measurements when he measured at the beginning of the project. I immediately called the company that was responsible for that part of the remodeling and informed them that we had a problem.

Last week I was amazed by how much I liked our new look and how everything was coming together. The cabinets are exactly what we wanted, the installed granite was perfect, and the new floors just pulled it all together. There was excitement because we were getting close to the end and would soon be back home. It was only as the project progressed that the error of measurements was noticed. The further the project went, the more obvious the error stood out. So, the only thing that can be done is to go back and remove things that are completed so the error can be corrected and then move on with the remodel. This means that a new cabinet will have to be made and stained, new granite purchased and installed, and the floor reinstalled.

Looking at everything that is going to have to be redone has me wondering when somebody first realized there was a problem. Did they realize when the cabinets were being installed that they were off? Or when they put the island back into its place? When they cut the granite, did somebody notice that this is not quite right? Or was the error totally unnoticed until the floors were being installed? I’m not a builder and would never try to answer those questions, but I know that the sooner the problem was discovered and corrected the less backtracking would have been required.

I’ve been a Christian for over 40 years, and I’m so thankful for those men and women who have poured into my life to help me grow. There have been times when I’ve gotten off track a little but thought that it was not a big deal, only to discover it was a big deal as time went by. Telling that small lie, hiding that one secret sin, ignoring the Holy Spirit’s guidance, etc. There are several things that can cause me to get off track if I’m not careful, and as small as it may seem today, it can become a major problem down the road. I enjoy golfing, and when I was learning to play my teacher often told me that a club face that hits a golf ball and is 1% off target will equate to 15 to 20 yards off target when it lands. A plane that may only veer 1% off its flight pattern at takeoff will be several miles off target when it’s time to land. Where will the Christian that is 1% off in his or her spiritual journey today be down the road if the problems are not addressed? Keep watch over your journey with Christ and make sure you are square to what the Bible teaches you so that you don’t have to backtrack later.