Whole lot going on

Our parking lot is being redone. As long as I’ve been here (3 years), I’ve wanted to repave it. The lot is 24 years old and full of holes, breaks, and cracks. It’s been unsightly and unsafe. And, given the fact that my career before the priesthood was in paving (sales), this project has been at the top of my wish list. Thanks to a generous bequest, we are finally able to tackle this massive renovation. It’s a big job in size and scope!

The workers began last week to take up the lower lot. It is the worst of all the sections of the parking lot because all the water from the upper sections flow down to it. It was hoped that only the top 2” of asphalt needed to be removed and that the base below it was solid. The workers found that the bottom 8” or so of asphalt (or concrete) was not solid and needed to be removed as well. This was in addition to the large area by the dumpsters that needed to be removed in full. As I write, there are several big piles of asphalt that need to be hauled away. A new drainage system will be installed, new base work, and a top sealcoat of asphalt that will be uniform in all sections of the parking lot. It will probably take longer than originally expected, but it is being done right which is the best thing.

Just like the parking lot, sometimes our souls need to be repaved. There are sections of our spiritual lives that need a little bit of work and some that need a complete overhaul. The more we dig in prayer on some things, the more we realize need to be removed. The guys outside will set the new lot on a solid base; this is like us building our lives on the rock of Christ. All of the piles of old, broken asphalt represent all of the brokenness that Christ can remove from our lives. So much of my work in confessions is analogous spiritually to the work being done on our lot. It might take us a long time to start the project with him and to dig deep, but all in one sacramental swoop He can remove what is broken within us, haul it out, and make us new!