Under Reconstruction

By Nikki Grimes

Under Reconstruction.
Please forgive the mess.
This life of mine, so small, confined
the ceiling low, the windows spare—
Almighty God is living there,
but there’s not room
for all his grace, his light
no room to parcel
his love impartially,
his greatness and
his glory cramped,
pressed up against
these thin brown walls.
Something has to give, or go.
It’s either God or me.
That’s when I feel
the renovation start.
In every room the dynamite is set,
the roof blown off, the ceiling raised,
the windows blasted out, enlarged,
the walls of all my prejudices,
my schemes, my plans and dreams
are coming down.
The God of justice is starting fresh.
He’s sweeping out this temple,
making me a heart that’s clean
with walls of fireproofing glass
through which his light is seen.
He’s adding several stories
so that his truth in me can stand,
and if I’m wise enough
to close my eyes,
I can even see his hand
restructuring the framework
of my mind where, one day
I’ll find he’s made himself
at home.

John 2:13-22

“Under Reconstruction” from Glory, Too by Nikki Grimes. Copyright © 2025 by Nikki Grimes. Used by permission of Paraclete Press.