A Wonderful Surprise!

Laying sod, raking gravel, and spring cleaning are not things that should make for a jolly atmosphere.  However, last Tuesday I had the privilege of helping a group do all three for a family in our church.  You would have thought we were being paid by the minute or headed to Disney World the smiles were so prevalent.   The recipients of such a gift are very special and much beloved by their friends and family. 
 
Matt and Kristen live in the center of a three home cul de sac on the back of Lookout Mountain.  The house to the left holds very dear friends, Katie and Joel. To their right lives Kristen's sister, also named Katie, and her family.  My sisters and I are always arguing over who is the sweetest.  Julie is clearly the favorite, with good reason, and she tries to claim she is the sweetest but the rest of us beg to differ.  Kristen's two Katies are sweeter than all of us put together. 

This much valued family has been journeying through a difficult stretch.  They would tell you they're doing well, God is good and other true sentiments that express their love for the Lord and contentment in the struggles He gives them the grace to endure.  I for one had no idea Matt was enduring intense migraines and chronic back pain.  I hadn't spoken to Kristen long enough to make the appropriate inquiries in order to hear how homeschooling, mothering and other responsibilities have been intensified due to a husband in extreme pain. I may have been unaware but those close to them were not.  Only the Master Healer can take away Matt's pain and continue to grant both he and Kristen His patience and peace.  But the Katies thought of some things we humans could do to help lighten the load.  They contacted family and friends in order to raise funds that would allow much needed sod and gravel.  I've lived in a yard where grass was almost impossible to grow and the maddening amount of dirt tracked into the house makes clean floors impossible to maintain.  They also thought we could spring clean the house 'cause who isn't uplifted by a clean slate? We snuck onto the property like a bunch of pixies and wood gnomes while Kristen was away with the kids and Matt was at work. We brought meals to fill the freezer and mops to clean the floors.  We moved furniture and dusted under beds.  Loads of laundry were cycled all the while tractors, trucks, rakes and strong backs transformed the yard into a wonderland.  There were dozens of people throughout the day hard at work delaying their own meals to be cooked, homes to be cleaned, children to be cared for, and professional work left unattended. 

While the progress accomplished last Tuesday was a bit overwhelming to Matt and Kristen we were all given a very real picture of God's love for His children.  He doesn't just give us the bare necessities but rather lavishes us with earthly blessings as well as Spiritual.  If this precious couple wasn't in a position to "need" they wouldn't have been able to experience just how much they are cared for by those around them.  They would have missed an overwhelming example of their Heavenly Father's love and provision.  I'm just getting to know the community at Rock Creek Fellowship but I already love them dearly.  It's one thing to think of such a fantastic plan but to put forth the effort necessary to follow it through is very rare. 
 
Well done RCF!  Very well done!

Grandparents Rock

Today, my Aunt and Uncle are becoming grandparents for the first time.  I can only imagine their excitement!  I have had the pleasure of knowing all of my Grandparents as an adult.  Knowing your grandparents is one thing.  Being able to experience who they are at an age when you can truly appreciate them is another story entirely. Were I to truly give them justice in this post you would all fall from exhaustion and never read my blog again.  Plus, while he has never dared say so, I know Andy Jones already thinks my posts are too long. 

My maternal grandfather called me the other day to inform me of his progress on a game I sent him a few weeks ago.  That man is sharp as a tack and loves puzzles.  Rush Hour is not to be trifled with and he completed all 40 cards.  I still remember him trying to teach me how to play chess.  He showed no mercy and success was not found in winning but rather in playing long enough he had to stretch his legs when the game was over.  I was rarely successful.  His sweet, playful, fun loving wife is a true treasure.  I can always anticipate her grabbing me by the arms and saying, "Sing to me Leah!  Sing to me!"  She doesn't care what is going on or if strangers may or may not be present.  She isn't particular about genre or the song I choose to burst forth in singing as long as she's there to hear it. This dear lady reads through the Bible every year. 

While my paternal grandfather is no longer living in this world his lineage is very much in tact.  My Papa and his brothers are constantly solving problems and continuing to discuss their outcome even though much time has passed and they are separated by many miles.  I was reminded of one of  this family's long standing traditions as I made a list of projects in anticipation of Papa's visit last month.  My Memaw is the one who married the ring leader and raised the rest.  She uses long gone phrases such as "He's not long enough in the britches" to describe a child and "all told" when gathering information.  It warms my heart each time she ends our conversations with, "Love you big!"  Last Christmas I started a wonderfully long, never ending project for this dear lady  who just keeps on keeping on despite many physical ailments.  The most annoying is Macular degeneration which has left her legally blind.  "Stealing" and reading through some of my Grandfather's old letters left me broken hearted that she could no longer do the same and spurred me into action.  Most of you have already heard my "interview" with Dick Gordon's "The Story" but just in case you haven't the last 5 minutes of this episode tells how I gave back my Grandmother's sight for little slices of time. 

Congratulations Aunt Bud and Uncle Bob!  You guys are going to absolutely ROCK this grandparent thing!  Love you both!