House of Hope!

There is a house of hope built on the foundation of love. The walls are hewed with beams of care & the windows are sealed with beauty. The roof is sturdy with courage and strength. The face of God shines in and warms those inside.

I’m like a little girl sitting on a tire swing in the middle of summer…pudgy little freckle face, bare dirty toes, sweat soaked curls plastered to her face watching this house being built. I hum my little tune…”that’s a little stone, that’s a little mortar, that’s a little seed, that’s a little water…in the heart’s of the sons and daughters…this Kingdom’s coming…”

I feel the need, being my 30 year old self again, to deconstruct all the layers of what I witnessed a little over a week ago. I watched in breathless wonder as Jesus’ love was selflessly acted out from deep wells of giving. Deep wells of which drew living water not only for those that the house was being built for, but also to every person that played a part.

It began, for me at least, Monday January 17th…in a warm kitchen with a beloved woman, two beautiful women in training, & three little balls of energy. The hum of those laboring under the load of cleaning out the garage mixed with squeals of laughter from two little boys ducking in & out of plastic storage bins. The home felt lived in…what it was intended for. The moment was real. It was tangible. It was a concrete block laid on the foundation of love, building those up who took part in it.

Thursday January 20th…the feeling of overwhelming grace was palpable. The crew arrived with a load full of lumber and love & set to work. In this moment it was certain that change was happening - a change that works its way from the inside out.

I had the rare privilege of spending the weekend with the Scalf’s while their “House of Hope” was being built. A sacred space blanketed with snow and prayer…blanketed with hopes and dreams of what could be. As we sat at Regatta that first evening…I felt it…I felt my little heart skip & the child like wonder dance behind my eyes. For that briefest of moments I no longer felt like I was on the sidelines of life, but playing a very integral part of the grand and beautiful story. The amazing Storyteller was weaving lives together creating a tapestry that only He, with His infinite creativity, could weave.

I was humbled by the journey…the love of a “Pioneer Cookbook”, the excitement in a child’s heart…a weekend I will never be able to forget.

The weekend ended all too quickly for me. The drive to my car was a moment of treasured conversation with a sister in Christ. The boundaries held up to protect our souls were laid bare & honest fellowship spilled out. It is the kind of conversatin’ that can only come from God.

Clothes, clothes, clothes…were the theme Sunday afternoon, for me anyway…in the end I had the privilege of becoming a fly on the wall. I had the privilege of stepping into those 25 volunteers’ blood, sweat, and tears and experiencing their journey. I had the privilege of standing back and seeing the sweet swell of joy and excitement, mixed with fatigue transfixing faces into earth-real beauty. I wonder if these wonderful ambassadors of hope even realized what was happening. If they could imagine what kind of party was being had in Heaven…

I was asked what my favorite part of the house was...while, I love the kids’ rooms, the new den…all the additions to the home…what captivated me was the picture display on the kitchen wall. The one of Isaac & soon to be all the Scalf kids. This…this moment…was the reason all of this was done. These children of hope…these children of promise…straight from God…a representation of His love, of His promise. This little display was the symbol of why all of this had transpired.

As I have hit my knees for all involved I have prayed that they will see…Choose to SEE the impact. The impact of a Mother mourning & rejoicing. The impact of children who desire to pay this kindness forward. The impact of two little boys who scream and laugh and play in their new room. The impact of a little girl feeling like a young woman. The impact of a big flat screen TV that is SO sweet it makes one little ole’ babysitter & a brother from a different Mother EXTREMELY happy ;)…hahahaha!

I cannot say thank you enough. I want to cook you ALL a big ole’ dinner…I want to do life with you. I want to share in this wonderful beautiful mystery we call life. The love you have given. The hope you have given. It has not only changed the structure of a home, but it has changed lives.

So thank you…

“It’s a little stone, it’s a little mortar, it’s a little seed, it’s a little water…in the hearts of the sons and daughters…this Kingdom’s Comin’!” (song by Sara Groves)

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