As a handyman, I'm often called out to inspect damage, and give estimates for fixing the situation. Most of the time, I'm satisfied that what I tell the prospective customer is valid and affordable. I tend to lean more toward the affordable solution than one that is costly. I know what it is like to have something break down or stop working without having the funds to fix it. So, I tend to be just a little sensitive to people's financial needs. Sometimes I will have a customer tell me that money is not an issue, but you know it is.
There are times I go out to look at a job and find myself wishing I'd never gone out to look at it. Such was the case for me this last week. I was asked to go make a bid for putting a deck up around a double wide modular home way out in the country. The couple had bought the home and were in the process of getting it moved when the husband died from a massive heart attack. AS anyone knows who's gone through the death of a loved one, it can take well over a year before you get your feet back on the ground. Such was the case with this customer. When I drove out to the location of the home, I discovered that the two halves of the home were never fully joined together and that the ridge cap on the roof was never installed. In simple terms, the home had sat open to the elements for over a year. The movers had brought over the decking and materials only to throw them in heaps.
I grew up in the mobile home industry from the time I was six or seven years old, and I can tell you that double-wides left open to the elements rarely go back together well. As I looked at the home in shambles, my heart broke for the woman who'd called me out to look at it. I had nothing but bad news to give her, and she didn't have a husband to help her bear the brunt of the bad news. Even putting up the deck would be a disaster, and cost much more than I'd 'primed' her for before I went out.
So, you might be wondering what if anything this has to do with the Sparrow's Perch and the peace of God. Let me tell you.
The peace of God is ours even in the midst of tragedy. As this week has unfolded, I've watched with great sorrow the slow and methodical approach of hurricane Florence. As I write this, I know it will slam North Carolina like a freight train. It will be a miracle if no one is killed, and an even greater miracle if there is no great property damage. Just the predicted rain amounts alone are catastrophic. Sometime this week, someone will be faced with death and destruction. What do you say to console, or offer comfort? What do you do?
This brought the situation with my customer into even greater focus. I'm on point with the customer. They are part of my faith family, and someone I want to bless. Sadly, I don't have the means to bless them. I will continue to worship with her, and will shake her hand every time she comes to church, but I'll also know that I could not do anything to change her situation. It is in God's hands.
And that is the purpose of this blog. Being in God's hands means that we can face the discouragements and the joys with the same trust in God. There is an old Hebrew tradition called two pockets. In one pocket you carry a note that says: "The Universe was created for me." In the other is the statement; "I am but dust." It is the essence of finding peace in God. I know that God's peace is found both in the joys and the sorrows of this life.
There is another Hebrew story that says King Solomon was tasked to provide a statement that would be applicable in all situations of life. Solomon had his craftsman forge a ring with the inscription "and this too shall pass away." Whether we are overcome with great joy, giddy happiness, pride from great achievements, or just the fruits of our labors, we know that it will pass amidst the inevitability of death, sickness, disaster, and even failure. What is true of these things is that the terrors that beset us by night will soon fade and pass away into greater joy, happiness, and yes, peace.
The sparrows have already begun to sing outside in my front yard. The majestic silver maple that had been their perch for many years was cut down last week because the ants had devoured it from the inside out. They have now taken up residence in the smaller pin oak on the corner of my lot. They didn't lose faith in God because the maple was gone, no, they moved on to another tree. I felt sorry for them when I had to cut the tree down, but soon realized that they weren't destroyed by the situation.
I grieved all last week for my beloved sister in the Lord because I knew that I didn't have a solution for her. I wanted to make it better for her, but it isn't in my power to do so. Just the materials alone are beyond my financial ability to repair her home. Could she sue the people who left her home open to the elements? I don't know. Would that even help? What is the answer? I know I'm not. I grieve with her, and feel compassion for her. I was ready to try and get the men of our fellowship to help me put the house right, but it would be a process that would take weeks. I cried when I told her how much I thought it would cost to fix the home. She doesn't have it. What will be the story after Florence hits North Carolina? Will someone like me have to tell a customer that their home of many years is destroyed beyond repair. Do we miss the entire point to this?
At least you are alive to be told the bad news. The good news is that this too shall pass.
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