Preservation

I love my career. What can I say? There is something so highly rewarding about preserving the historic character of a community. As the historic preservationist for a rural district I am faced with the task of producing effective methods of preserving our nation, state, and community history.
I often find it difficult to do so when I find that there are others in opposition to my cause. Often times people will see an old ratty and worn building that can serve no purpose. Therefore, they find it in their interest to demolish their own history and start fresh instead of building onto what is already there. It always breaks my heart to see someone's hard work, albeit, primitive in some cases, destroyed for an new and improved high-tech amenity. It makes me wonder about who spent his time to build it. I often have the opportunity to read their stories, learn their lives, and see what contributions their lives and buildings brought to the small communities in which I work.

It's no surprise though. We don't always want to have our past rearing its ugly head into our present lives do we? We want to start fresh with no memory of what was there before. It's easier, it's more convenient, and let's face it we get bored with the old.In Psalm 66:9 the word reads "He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping." God has preserved us, not wiped us out and started fresh.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career, is seeing these old dilapidated buildings restored to its original construction. Old wallpaper is stripped away, paint is chipped away, carpets are removed to reveal a gorgeous wooden floor beneath, and those boarded up windows are given away to light. How I rejoice when I can stand in a room and see it just as it looked nearly a century ago. What's more is when these old pieces are mixed with a few new renovations. The old meets the new and they get along just great. Many times in the past kitchens were separate from the house itself. This was for the prevention of fire spreading, and probably to keep the icky smells out of the main living area. Oh, and my personal favorite is when there is indoor plumbing...forget the outhouse, please.

The point is, is there is no reason for the building to be torn down and replaced when there are options to building on the legacy already in existence.
How does this apply in the real world? Well, to start we don't always find it beautiful to hold on to those memories of our pasts. However, they are very much a part of who we are and who we will be in the future. Without a base on which to grow we will have nothing on which to look back. We need to preserve our history and learn from our mistakes. We've worked hard to be where we are today.

God has blessed us incredibly with such a gift- life. Why would we wish to destroy it? His forgiveness and mercy are key in the preservation of our lives. He has promised us a home after this life. However, like in the case of these older buildings education is at the heart of the preservation effort. One must know HOW and WHY to preserve what we've been given. The answers differ for the buildings but for you and myself the answer is easy: Why should we preserve ourselves? Because God wishes to be with us eternally. How do we preserve ourselves? Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Submit to His ways, commit to loving Him and others, pray, and read His word.

Saving an old building may be rewarding but the salvation and preservation of a human means more to me than any historic site in the world. Means more to God, too.

Embrace your past, learn from your mistakes, and keep adding to what you once were. Don't tear apart your legacy for some new look or philosophy. Know who you once were use it to prepare you for who you will be. Preserve yourself as God has promised He'll do for you.