atching contractors working day in, day out and seeing a building come together is probably the second most thrilling part of a building project. At the start, depending on the type of project, everything looks underwhelming. If it is dry then there may be lots of rubble and dust and if it wet then rubble, mud, water and dirty footmarks everywhere! It is as if a field has been ploughed and a seed planted. Things look rough and unformed.
The absence of any real progress seems to go on for a long time but then the transformation starts. Things on site begin to neaten up and a sort of order starts to take shape, howsoever silently (well not really!) but without fanfare. Materials appear on site, ideally as neatly stacked piles or rows. And structures start to sprout , often literally, from the ground. The building starts to grow. The workers seem to enjoy this stage more than the beginning calling to one another cheerily. Eventually, the building really starts to take form. The outline looks like it should but without the important stuff that you need to use the building properly.
Like a crop growing in the field there is a stalk but not much else. Yet as the Mechanical and Electrical works take place and plugs, lights and radiators appear, it is like the ears forming and then filling out on the wheat stalk.
And then comes the most thrilling part of a building project – harvest time! Using it! The excitement, wonder and joy are almost palpable. God is good and loves to bless us. But W stands for Watching. Enjoy the watching while it lasts. Time lapse photography can be really helpful as it helps succeeding generations to enjoy seeing God’s blessing in action, so to speak. There is a special Wonder in Watching.
