We should trust God even when we can't see the full picture.   ~~~   Today is my FAVORITE day of every project- REVEAL DAY. Not only does reveal day commemorate the end of a project, today is the day I get to find out if all the blood, sweat, and tears of the project was worth it. And, I usually have my answer the second my client walks through the door. You see, anytime I’m doing a project for a client, I always request for them to leave at least some part of the renovation a surprise. So, depending on how early in the project I convinced them to walk away, reveal day will be the first time they have been back in the renovation space for quite some time. Now, I certainly understand and respect my client’s desire to stay involved throughout the renovation, but if I can convince them to walk away and leave the project in my hands for at least a portion of the renovations, I have found the following advantages: #1 They get to avoid the drama. There is ALWAYS drama and dilemmas that come up at every project. If I can convince my client to stay away from the jobsite, not only does it mean they are relieved from any decision-making, it also means I shelter them from the everyday drama that comes up. I try to only involve them if it is something that will affect their budget. As long as a solution is found and the project stays on track, they don’t need to worry about the twists and turns that take place to get the project from the before to the after. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. #2 I can go a little more risky in my design choices. There are so many times I get an idea in my head that I feel 100% confident my client will like, but because it is not something they have seen before or is an out of the box idea, they are a little hesitant to take the plunge. But nearly 100% of the time if they trust me, those design risks will be one of their favorite parts of the project come reveal day. For example, on this project my client knew the overall theme of this short term rental was going to have the feel of a sports locker room and he gave me the go-ahead to make it happen. But if I had told him I wanted to put OSB board- a building material that is usually hidden as wall sheathing or floor underlayment, not prominently featured as wall treatment - he might have thought I was crazy. Luckily we have worked together before so he has learned to trust me. #3 And of course the final advantage keeping the client away from the project is the longer they have been away, the more exciting the reveal! Depending on the stage of the project we were at when they made their exit, they might only have a vague idea of the overall design story and have had to rely on their imagination to picture the details. My goal is to always exceed their imagination and expectations. I find that the earlier they put their faith and trust in me for the project, the more I want to wow them in the end. As I think about these advantages to the surprise reveal it makes me think about the ultimate reveal that awaits those who have put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus. Heaven Since the beginning of creation God has chosen to reveal some things to his children while some things have remained hidden. While I could never begin to grasp the mind of Christ, I do believe that the Lord chooses to keep some things hidden from his children for the same reason I like to keep my clients in the dark during a portion of the renovation. He wants to shelter us from the drama and troubles that come with knowledge. I mean just think about it. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect, protected, and provided-for paradise in the garden of Eden with only 1 rule to follow: Don’t eat from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Up until that first bite, God had sheltered his children from all that was evil in the world. But when Adam and Eve chose to share in the knowledge of good and evil, they forevermore deprived themselves of the paradise and daily communion God had prepared for them. Instead knowledge brought death. God continues to keep some things from us for our own good and protection. In Deuteronomy 29:29 Moses says: “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” In addition to our protection, some things will remain a surprise because we simply cannot understand or comprehend his plan. While I did communicate to my client that I wanted to create a locker room kind of feel in this space, it wasn’t until he saw the end result that he could fully grasp what my plan was. There are many examples of this in the Bible. When God told Noah to build a boat, do you think Noah’s human mind could begin to grasp what his future would hold? It is believed that the flood was the very first time it had ever rained. Therefore, there was no way Noah could picture the calamity the Lord predicted, he simply had to build in faith. Or think about our greatest example- Jesus Christ himself. All throughout the Old Testament the prophets predicted Jesus’ birth and life. And yet his children did not recognize him when he was born. They could not grasp that the predicted Savior of the world would carry a cross instead of a sword. That He came to serve instead of being served. While some things are intentionally hidden and others are just too big for our human minds to comprehend, if we will have faith and trust and obey the Lord’s plan, I guarantee the end reveal of eternity with the Lord our God in Heaven will be greater than anything we could ever hope or imagine. Thanks for allowing me to share another renovation with you and for joining me as we discover God’s love and restoration for our lives here on Storybook Homes.