What do You see?

I heard a long time ago that when a couple builds a new house, that if they stay together through the building process they can stay together forever. We started several months back building a new house for our church family. We've made progress and hopefully will be in there for Easter service. It's not complete, but we're hoping it will ready enough. In the process of this short but very long journey there have been very few casualties.

I have to keep prayerful, always asking the Lord to guard my heart and watch my tongue. Lord, when someone complains about the color of the floor, what do You see? I think you see Ross D. with a very unhealthy body cleaning and staining the slab that we will be sitting on, listening to Your Word. He is so sick he can't make enough to keep his bills paid, but wouldn't charge You for labor and I think that makes You smile.

When someone complains about the stain on the trim, what do You see? You see Kyle W. down on his knees staining every piece of wood that will go around doors and along the floor. Never complaining, always smiling with the sweetest spirit and I think that makes You smile.

When someone complains about the rooms or offices, what do You see? I think You see Jack B. with his crew slapping up those walls, once again not charging You for the labor, but giving with such a joyful heart. You see him getting Michael's office ready even though we were going to wait until everything else was done, and I think that makes You smile.

When someone complains about how the money was spent I think you see Jack H. and Jan S. spending hours making sure it will all work and standing up for what is right for this family - and I think that makes you smile.

When someone is unhappy with the paint choices, I think you see Brandi D. picking out swatches and leading her group of ladies to make decisions that will make this new home seem "homey". I think you also see her sitting on that concrete floor with her computer on and makeshift lighting so she can paint the custodial closet while on a conference call for work. Because the custodial closet is important to You, it is important to her. I'm pretty sure You don't smile on this one - You chuckle. Only You, Brandi, and I know why you chuckle.

When people walk into that home next Sunday and see a spot on the floor that may not have come up, I think you see Sandy and Peggy down on their knees scrubbing up the mud, praying for every person that steps foot in that place and every baby rocked in that nursery. I think you see the girls digging out dirt from the cracks with welding irons and Jack Hall, Sr. bending over sweeping up dirt into his dustpan so Don T., Jim Sonic, Doug S. and Eric H. can mop for three days getting ready to put down the next coat of stain. You also see Tom S. and Jim W. helping with the cleaning and staining. Part of Your smile may be a little disbelief in the "not so young knees" down on that "not so soft" concrete floor.

When the water runs and the toilets flush and it all goes to the right place, or even if it doesn't, I think you see Greg, David, Eugene, and Doug R. digging a moat and trying to put heads together to find the best way to run the pipe. You have to smile, because it was pretty cute using that little level on such a big pipe.

You have to smile when You hear the prayers of the faithful ones who continually pray for this family and for us. When you remember all the ones who came up to work (and there were many) whenever they could. For Doc giving up time and resources so our disabled will have a ramp for easy entrance to worship You. For the ones who have given sacrificially so we can have appliances and chairs, counter tops, paint, and rugs - all because they love You.

We have company coming next Sunday, Lord. It will be a very busy week in order to get it all done. My prayer is that no matter what the building looks like when they walk in that they will see why we love. They will see Who we love. That You will see our hearts and it makes You smile.