Chris’ Note
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| Chris masking and taping the kitchen |
Yesterday, a couple of us were approached by the assistant site supervisor, Paul, about the possibility of helping him do some rehab work on his friend’s house. His friend had some personal circumstances that required him to relocate his family to the Houston area. His house in MS, however, required some work before it could be rented out. We mentioned to Paul that we’ll check if anyone on the team would be interested in helping out. Personally, I wanted to help out but didn’t think that we would be able to work on another house after working a full day at the work site. At the same time, I felt God called us to MS to be a blessing to others; it didn’t have to be someone connected with Habitat. Somehow I knew He would work it out in His timing.
The weather report forecasted substantial thunderstorms throughout the day; we were not disappointed. The weather got so bad in the morning with little chance of it improving any time soon, that our site supervisor, Brad, decided to call it a day because it was not safe to work outdoors under those conditions. I was secretly hoping that we as a team, or possibly just a few of us, would be open to helping Paul work on his friend’s house. I was delighted when Craig made the announcement that we, as a team, would all go and work on the house. I wasn’t sure how the men would react to this news but I shouldn’t have been surprised. They were all excited about working on Paul’s friend’s house, with absolutely no hesitation or reservations. Not only did we get a lot of work done, the men had a great time and worked throughout the day with much joy. I was so proud to be among this incredible team of men and representing Evergreen so well. They were a blessing to me. Mostly, I was thankful to the Lord for allowing me to be part of this ministry, to be used by Him for His purposes and for His glory and His glory alone, and to experience the true blessing of being a light to others. My prayer is that Paul’s friend would someday understand why we wanted to bless him and Paul, and that’s because it pleases God for us to do so. The Lord has been so faithful to us so far throughout this trip. Looking for more opportunities tomorrow. PTL.
Chris
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
Craig’s Note
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| Craig, in black and bandana with Paul |
Dear friends,
We do not know each other but today my friends and I were in your house. Why? Well, we cleaned a little and painted a little, but mostly we wanted you to know that someone cares about you. Frankly, it wasn’t in our plan to visit your house because we’re really in Mississippi to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. But the rain shortened our work day and we were left with a free afternoon to help our mutual friend, Paul Waters, paint your house. I want you to know that this event was not a coincidence. You see, I believe that God caused rain to fall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast today because he wanted us to make a difference in your lives. But this is not about us doing our good deed for the day. It’s about selfless Chistian men and women doing what they are meant to do. In the Bible, Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”. We do nice and good things out of obedience to God.
You know, we may never meet, and that’s okay. But today, God invited us into your lives to let you know that He cares for you and your family.
May God bless all five of you with a smooth transition to life in Texas.