The whole of creation is a theater of grace, embodying and mediating the presence and saving activity of God on our behalf. It is the stage on which the drama of salvation continuously unfolds. (Thomas Aquinas)
It is less painful for us to think that the "drama of salvation" unfolded 2000 years (or more) ago than to grasp Aquinas' concept of salvation unfolding today. But C.S. Lewis, borrowing a parable from George McDonald, tells us to imagine ourselves as a living house. God comes in at our invitation to re-build the house. At first, we can understand what He is doing---fixing the leaky roof, getting the drains right, and so on---the things we knew needed doing.
But then, we cannot understand what he is doing as he starts knocking down walls and building new wings. We thought we were going to be made into "decent little cottages," but He seems to have something else in mind. God is forcing us beyond our boundaries, to higher levels than we thought we could go---or even aspired to go. As Lewis says, "it seems to us all unnecessary; but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us."
It is hard to make room in our lives for what Christ wants to do in us, especially since we tend to snuggle into our comfort zones and stay there. But once we've invited Him in and given Him permission to re-build, He will carry out His plans for us whether we like it or not. In the end, whatever He builds will be something greater than we could have imagined for ourselves. In the meantime, we'll have to learn to live with the mess of ongoing re-construction.
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