Shawna Herring Photography

TV
I'm not a big TV watcher, the only show that I am faithful to is Extreme Home Makeover. Sunday nights at 8pm, I'm there. It wasn't until last night that it really became clear to me why I like it so much. There are a few things that are obviously appealing.
1. The major transformation of something that is in great need, to something that is totally restored, above and beyond what could be hoped for or imagined, and
2. watching the reaction of the family when they see their newly restored home. Ya gotta just love that part. They always freak out, cry, jump, scream, hug their loved ones....it's just so fun to watch them as they walk through the door, mouth dropped, eyes bulging, heart pounding.
This last episode was so good. It was about an L.A. cop who had been shot in the line of duty and had become a parapalegic. Her husband is also a cop, and they have a 1& 1/2 yr.old daughter. Her mom had come to live with them to help care for her daughter and they had tried to make their home accomodating to a wheelchair. Life had been turned upside down.

So in comes the crew, sends the family off to Cabo for a vacation while they turn this depressing house into a mansion that restores hope. You could tell that the woman was struggling with being really angry about her circumstances in the beginning. She didn't have a lot of emotion. The crew had just about every obstacle imaginable come against them during the week of building. It seemed as if they were not going to come through on schedule but so many peoploe in the community ( California! YAY!!) offered their time and talent and they pulled it off. The crew spoke with her Dr.'s about a Recovery Plan and they built her a room with all of the equiptment that she would need to strengthen her muscles, they put in a track system throughout the house so that she could harness herself in and travel from room to room by remote...it was just really cool. They also showcased all of her medals, accomplishments and awards from the Police Academy in this room to encourage her. They really made an effort to restore her hope, her honor and her identity.

Well, she was so overwhelmed when she came home and saw a TON of police officers, firemen, friends, family, neighbors,..people who wanted to make a difference in her life. I don't know who was crying more, me or her. In her interview, she said that she was just so overwhelmed by all the love.
And then it hit me.
The reason that I love this show so much, is that it's a little picture of our Big God. I mean, she was so undone by the love that she felt from these strangers that had given a week of their time in order to make her life here on earth better. She was simply overwhelmed by love.
That's how God is. What He gives to you and me, is immesurably more than a week's worth of His time, and the effect is not just for our benefit here on earth. It's for Eternity. He is Hope where there is only despair, He restores and reconciles what has been lost and broken. The knowledge of His love is overwhelming.
It's almost a guarantee at the end of the show when the family is walking through their new home, that (even the kids ) say, over and over...really slow..."Oh My God!" and a sharp ping hits my heart as I think to myself.
"Yes, Exactly"