Coleslaw

I was watching Veggie Tales with my niece this morning when I heard Larry say the following.

"Go ahead smash that tower (of cabbage), you might just make coleslaw."


He was telling a tale of oddities about a man who had built a tower of cabbage with a mayonnaise stand at the bottom. Unfortunately the tower was blocking a neighbors window and one night, the neighbor, knocked the tower down, destroying it. Upon discovering the deconstruction of his wonderful tower the man was angry. That is, until he realized that his misfortune had caused him to accidentally discover coleslaw.

It made me think of the towers we build in our lives and the discoveries we make upon them being knocked down. These towers can be many things, anything that we place value and security in besides Jesus. Many times we do not even realize our areas of insecurity, or what the towers we have built are, until God comes along and begins knocking them down.

Many times deconstruction is not something we welcome, it can be hard and challenging. Yet, I have come to realize that when I keep my eyes on Jesus and ask Him to remind me of the truth, to remind me of what He says about me and my life, I can walk through the deconstruction process with peace and joy.

As I grow in my relationship with Jesus, and I continually learn to trust in Him, I learn that "deconstruction" is simply the first step in Him building something new that He has promised me.

There are many things I have looked to besides Jesus, on this journey. Many times the substitutes we look to are the very things that are seemingly good. The deeds we get involved in, the careers we choose, the people in our lives, the church we might attend, the teaching of others. All of these can be good, however they should never replace our individual relationship with Jesus. They should never be what defines us or gives us a sense of worth and value.

When these become bigger in our lives than our oneness with Jesus, they become towers that block the view of Christ in our lives. Many times it is the times of trial we go thorough that God uses to show us areas we are not trusting Him in. He uses these times to show us the "towers" we have built, and then He begins knocking them down.

I have learned, and am continuing to learn, how to embrace times of "deconstruction." Those times when God removes what is unnecessary, and mixes all the right ingredients together. Only through embracing these times and learning to trust in the Lord, will I find my coleslaw.

Lets Talk Grace! What Towers have you built on your journey? Is God knocking down any towers in your life? Please leave a comment, and tell us what you think. Lets Talk Grace!