Deconstruction unto Reconstruction
by Jennifer Gumienny
The last couple of years battling the global pandemic, have shifted the inner and outer landscape of many lives. It’s as if God has gripped the trunk of our tree and shaken and shaken and shaken - leaves have fallen, branches that we thought were strong have broken off, our roots are left dangling, and we’re wondering what to do now. Our shape and direction look very different than what was before, our roots no longer comfortable in the old soil we’ve been pulled from. But we’re not yet growing strong, we haven’t yet found our new normal, and it’s more and more uncomfortable as time goes on.
Transition.
Isaiah 43:19 says,
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
New things are wonderful - they hold promise - especially in the hands of a creative and ever-loving God. But the transition to new things can be brutal. Often much slower than we’d desire, and much more painful, transition reveals our truest motives, our impatient faith or maybe more like restless doubt. It forces us to see the god-like demands of our flesh, and the extent of our frailty. It’s humbling. But the good news is, there’s only one way to grow - up!
The word God has given me in this season is “deconstruct”. God is deconstructing what has been, in order to reconstruct something new. Deconstruction is a very confusing process, because so much of our effort has been poured into building life in one direction - building a ministry, an identity, something meaningful - only to have it taken apart brick by brick. “Why God?!” People have lost businesses, ministries need to be redirected, personal altars of intimacy have crumbled, former methods just don’t work anymore! We cry out, “What is happening?”
It’s not that what we were building was necessarily ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’, the time has simply come for God to bring the new, and to re-form us through its birthing. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” When Jesus came, every ‘good thing’ that spiritually minded people had been building, was turned on its head. There was a new season for a new time. This is how God works - through appointed times and seasons. So don’t beat yourself up for the losses and the changes, or for the discouragement and faithlessness you may have encountered along the way. This is all a normal part of being transplanted into new soil. Every plant dug up from the roots goes through a period of shock - they get disoriented, a bit paralyzed, and cannot grow like they used to. They need time to adjust to the new normal. God will not leave our roots dangling in transition. Prepare yourself to be re-rooted.
The counterpart to deconstruction is reconstruction. God is un-building in order to re-build. He is re-rooting us in slightly different soil, so we will grow in a slightly different direction, to eventually form a significantly different shape than what would have been. It’s a renewal, and it’s good. Read that again: It. Is. Good.
When the shepherd leads the sheep, he knows where the green pastures are - even through desertous terrain, he knows where to find the small patches of refreshment for his flock. So as you seek stability, don’t try and direct his hand or expect your old pastures to be sufficient for your growth, both personally and spiritually. Let him lead you to new pastures. They may be very near your old watering holes, very similar even, but He is leading, and they contain the fresh provision you need for this season.
“In the midst of the disillusionment and confusion of the times, turn your gaze towards His face. Keep things simple.”
Letting go and letting God lead, isn’t easy, but truly, it’s the only way to gain stability in this transition. Trust God’s divine foreknowledge and timing and hide yourself in Him. When the storm winds blow, take shelter in the Lord. Grab ahold of what is stable. I believe there is a whisper resonating over the earth right now that is pointing us toward the one steady stronghold we have available: “Return to Me. Return to My love.” In the midst of the disillusionment and confusion of the times, turn your gaze towards His face. Keep things simple. “God knows what’s going on. God loves me. I can trust Him. I need His love.” Switch up your spiritual practices. Get on your knees, bow your head, humble your heart and say, “God I need your love. Remind me of who You are, and who I am to You”. As Ephesians says, be “rooted and established in love.” God’s love is our safe place. Though many things change, this will never change. As Jesus says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you” (Jn 15:4). Don’t let the winds blow you too far from home. Return to Him. He’s watching and waiting. And when the storm passes, and our roots relax enough to settle into the freshly tilled soil, we will gain new perspective, and have a solid foundation to be re-built from.