Deep Thoughts from Home Depot…
In the winter of 2006 Dustin and I (along with a friend) had the crazy idea of purchasing an old, abandoned house in Pleasant Ridge to “fix up” and then sell for a profit. Well, long story short, we renovated the home and did in fact sell it, but because it sat on the market so long we didn’t exactly make a profit. Yet the experience was unbelievable, and despite the reality that we didn’t make a lot of money, I would not trade the experience for the world. After all, we learned so much, not only about physical construction, but also about spiritual renovation.

A couple of things stand out to me in particular about our “Mapleleaf” property as we called it (the house was located on Mapleleaf Ave, hence the name). One, I remember how it seemed that we LIVED at Home Depot because we were there so frequently. And two, I remember how messy everything was for the longest time. If you know me even remotely, you’re keenly aware that I’m a neat freak…I can’t stand a messy room, a dirty toilet, or even a random strand of paper on the floor. It makes me nervous. So this renovating project was a major pain at times, to say the least!
Dustin kept telling me the entire time these words, “things are a mess right now, but it will look great when we’re done.” Of course, we took the DIY (do it yourself) approach, and like I mentioned earlier, Home Depot became a common stop for us. You know their motto of, “You can do it. We can help.”

But now as I look back on our crazy Mapleleaf adventure, the entire process has me thinking…
 
Home Depot capitalizes on the DIY trend by taking someone with limited knowledge and experience (someone like me & Dustin) and transforming them into a home renovator…one project at a time.
So why doesn’t the church operate like Home Depot? Why don’t we at Vertical Impact operate like this? Isn’t our goal, our calling, to take someone with limited knowledge of the Bible, limited experience with Jesus, and set them on a path toward spiritual renovation one ‘project’ at a time?  Home Depot has found a way in the realm of home renovation. How do we make it happen in the realm of spiritual renovation?

Consequently, I’m trying some new approaches in 2008 to keep me on the right path. There are several questions I’m asking myself throughout my ministry calendar planning for this new year. Here’s one of those questions: “Does this event or resource have a next step?” Everything should have a next step. Everything in life and ministry should lead the participant somewhere. An event or resource should never be an end unto itself. If it is, it’s a waste of time.

Look at Home Depot. We decided to replace the linoleum with ceramic tile flooring. In order to install the flooring though, we had to remove the baseboards. But when we got the baseboards off, we realized it was a great time to paint the walls. And if we were going to paint the walls, we decided we may as well paint the door casings. Once we had freshly painted door casings and walls, we decided we might as well replace our baseboards with brand new ones.

Did you see that? What just happened? One project lead to another, and suddenly our beloved Mapleleaf got a mini-makeover. Every project lead to another project…a “next step,” if you will. But not just any “next step.”A step that lead Dustin and me further into the renovation process.
Smart. Real smart. Sooooo…let’s connect the dots here…

Does our ministry have next steps? And specifically, does our walk with God have next steps? If so, where are they leading (us and others)? Where is your life leading in 2008? What renovations await for your heart, your passions, your soul? Maybe each of us should steal a page from the Home Depot book of spirituality. So go ahead, take that next step, and watch as your life and the lives of others are transformed!

Renovating lives for God one heart at a time,
Lee:)