“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
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About this quote
Change often begins with small, sensible repairs and then becomes messy and painful. You will want to stop the process when it hurts or when the new shape makes no sense. Ask yourself what you are holding on to, and write down how that holds you back. Keep track of what improves after the disruption; those gains show whether you are being rebuilt for more responsibility and reach.
When to use it
- After my manager dissolved our team and handed me responsibility for a bigger product, I kept this image in mind while I learned the systems and new people.
- After knee surgery knocked me out of competitive running, I said the line to myself during rehab as I relearned how to move and rebuilt strength.
- When my elderly parent needed care and family routines were torn apart, I used the metaphor to stay patient while we set up a better household plan.
- The semester I switched majors and lost the easy path, I thought of that idea while I learned harder material and new ways of thinking.