This past week my squad and I have been serving in Lake Charles, Louisiana with Samaritans Purse doing hurricane relief. I have experienced a lot, both challenging and amazing, but all equally joyful. The Lord is working so much, I could tell stories for hours. Most of the time, the thing running through my head is the single verse, “Behold, I am doing a new thing.” Every wall torn down and every piece of insulation taken out has this thought attached to the end of it. This story is from the most recent house we gutted out mold and drywall from.
I worked most of the day in a side work room in the garage. The white wall was black from mold and my arms were sore from swinging a sledgehammer at it. As the gross moldy wall began to fall away, a thin black piece of sheetrock sat under it. The sheetrock looked pretty much fine and I didn’t think I’d have to take it down. Once I was told that I did in fact have to take it down, I took to the hammers again. Little pieces of black began to fall around my feet as beautiful brick from the outside of the house was being revealed. The exact moment I started to tear through this black wall, we were called for a break. My team walking past would look, gasp at this one foot slab of brick, and say something about how pretty it was. The homeowner even told me at one point, “hmm. Thats so pretty, maybe I won’t even want to go back to a wall! I think I’ll keep the brick.”
“Behold, I am doing a new thing”
Over and over again, the verse passes through my mind. I finally look it up and read,
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18)
a new thing. He’s doing a new thing.
Through the wilderness? He’s doing a new thing through the wilderness?
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” (Hosea 2:14)
He’s doing a new thing through the wilderness. He speaks tenderly in the wilderness.
He makes a way in the wilderness.
I talk to the Lord as it all begins to click. My moldy, soaking wet, old walls are being knocked down by the goodness and grace of the Lord. I see this, I can understand this, and I can be content with my new layer of wall. But thats not what the Lord intended for me! He intends for me to be driven by the Holy Spirit, knocking down my walls that look good enough to get by. He intends beautiful brick to shine through and stop people passing by, even if it’s just a foot. In fact, He delights in the mere 12 inches of brick in the giant wall. And this 12 inches of brick is so sweet, so beautiful, that I won’t even want to go back to what it used to be. I want to continue tearing down the walls, sanctifying my heart, so I can continue to reveal more of Jesus’ beautiful brick walls, inch by inch. And you know the best part?! Through this hammering, this breaking, this crushing, He speaks to me in the wilderness. He speaks TENDERLY to me in this wilderness. He makes a way for me in this wilderness. He could’ve just made the brick shine through from the start. But, He chose to allure me into the wilderness. Allure me into the storms, the hurricanes, the aftermaths, and consuming mold of this life. He chose to allure me into this wilderness so that He could speak tenderly to me.
Behold, He is doing a new thing. Praise the Lord for that.
in other news, my squad and I have one week left with Samaritans Purse! The Lord is undoubtedly moving, ask me about it sometime 🙂 be expecting a post with all things updates and photos. Please be praying for the people we are ministering to and continued health and unity within our squad!
With love,
Han!
