November 27, 2006
Estimate the Cost
A developer bought a fixer-upper house in my neighborhood with the intention of improving it cosmetically and ‘flipping’ if for a quick profit. He removed siding from an outside wall and then quickly poured a 4 X 12 foot cement slab extension onto the house. As the cement was curing the building inspector dropped by and spoke to the workmen. Not only had they failed to submit a site plan for approval, but the new slab was not up to building code standards and had to be removed. As I watch the ongoing saga from my kitchen window, the slab was removed and in the process the workmen unearthed an old foundation. In what appears to be ‘Plan B’, the workmen, now turned archeologists, gingerly cleaned around and swept off the old foundation. I’m only speculating, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a new addition miraculously appear on the old foundation. Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ (Luke 4:28-30 NIV) Although it’s not my intention to ridicule the developer, I do catch myself laughing at the lack of planning and his effort to circumvent building codes. Jesus warns believers to estimate the cost of becoming His disciple. As evidenced with fallen religious leaders, ridicule is part of the price that’s paid.
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Gail;
----As I read your piece, "Estimate the Cost", I wondered if somehow you broke into the archives of knowledge about my life. I usually embark on my construction projects with half a plan. I then find myself backing up for this and adjusting for that.
Sometimes it becomes so exasperating to me that, after my self-chastisement, I begin to chart a plan for change. But that is when I remember that I like flexibility. Plans are so restrictive, but they are so necessary. So I find myself planning the basics well, always with an option to add on or somewhat diverge later. I then have the perfect reason for never actually putting those tedious and boring finishing touches onto my projects, because you see, there is always the possibility that it is not finished.
----But count the cost I do! And I have always counted it as too excessive. It has been the weakness of my entire life - I learned pessimism early. So I also learned to plan for failure, then maybe the suprise would be success. With that attitude, there have been few surprises in my life. As many of you as are young, read this and learn from my mistake. That mentality can engrain deeply by the half-century mark of your life, and it does great damage.
----Fortunately the Lord gave me the wisdom to not avoid the material and spiritual projects of my life. My life has always had to have projects, that is who I am. But my projects get scaled back from what they could be if I would struggle harder to produce the means to cover the costs. As a result, I have gained the ability extract a great amount of utility from the shabbiest of materials and situations. And that is the way our Lord is, He makes the most of what we are, and He even finds a use for our mistakes and weaknesses.
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