DEMOLITION

Started another project after dinner tonight. This time in the backyard. 

Our play structure used to see a lot of action, but now it just looks neglected. The wood is rotting and the whole thing is held together by rusty nails and screws.

When we first moved into the house, I spent some time and money sprucing it up. It was gray, like the rest of the house. I painted it all, added a sandbox, and draped a brightly colored canopy over the tallest part. 

But now it is showing the neglect of the last ten years.

Instead of taking the sawzall to it, I decided to take it apart piece by piece and remove the nails and screws as I went.

Surprisingly, this demolition project stirred up some anger - mostly muted these days - regarding events of the past year and our departure from Haiti.

I kept thinking: How incredibly easy it is to tear something down. It's even kind of fun. And fast! What took weeks to build can be brought down in an evening. What takes years to build can be leveled in weeks or months. 

For myself, I resolved anew that, with God's help, I will not spend my time on this planet tearing down other people or their work.

I pulled the nails and screws tonight so that I can repurpose this wood. 

Instead of throwing it on a fire or hauling it to the dump, I plan to take what is left on the ground after the destruction and perhaps make it into something useful.

Maybe even into something beautiful.