November 6 – “Sara’s Sermon”

Today was "Pull out the floor" day.  Chris finally agreed that it was the best thing to do, even though she really wanted to try to salvage the hardwood floors in the house.  She had a good point.  They were real oak, and would have been beautiful refinished.  But the evil mold would have always lurked just beneath the surface.  We would never know if it was truly gone - or just waiting.  Waiting to turn a beautiful finish milky, murky.  Waiting to seep through with moisture and cause someone to slip and fall.  Waiting to creep up through the tiniest of cracks and leap into the respiratory tracks of unsuspecting, innocent young grandchildren.   I started with Mom's room.  I figured it would be the worst.  I might have been right.  It was bad.  The one bright spot, though, was that I got to play with my new toy – a circular saw.  A power tool.  Aaar.  Aaar.  Aaar.  We even stopped at WalMart so I could get a plastic tub for it to live in.  So, the idea was to cut a long strip through the wood, and then rip it up in sections using a crowbar.  And it worked well.  It's just hard work.  Really hard work.  It's amazing how much easier it got when Nathan got there and I didn't have to carry the big pieces out to the street.  We finished all three bedrooms and the hall.  All that's left for tomorrow is the big L-shaped living room.  We can do it.  It will finally be ready for the power wash / disinfectant crew to come by Saturday or Sunday.  As Chris said, "When will we ever be through with demo?  I'm tired of it."  Right now, I'm just tired.   Nathan and April came to Omega to have supper and wash clothes.  We also went fishing for the first time.  The only bite we got – if you don't count the mosquitos – was when something chomped through my artificial shrimp and bit the bottom half off.  Encouraging.  But did I mention that I was tired?   After supper we settled in on the couch.  Everybody checked email or picked up something to read.  I know the TV was on when I sat down, because when I woke up CSI was on.  Couldn't follow it, though.  See, I was tired.  I dozed off and on, trying to stay awake enough to offer advice to Grissom on his love life – or was that to Nathan on fishing?  Or April on having a baby?  Hope not.    Anyway, when I finally did rouse up enough to know what was really going on around me, Nathan and April were about to leave, so Chris "helped" me come to my senses.  The one thing I focused in on, though, was Sara talking to Grissom in a video phone message (Yes, I'm back to CSI on the TV, but at the time I wasn't sure).  She said, "Sometimes not making a decision is making a decision."  Now if that logic doesn't give you a headache, it is really some good stuff.  It's sure that way with God.  If you keep putting off beginning a relationship with God – or getting serious about obedience in the one you already have – you are making a decision to push him away.  2 Corinthians 6:1-2 says, "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.  For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.'  I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."   Father, forgive me when I choose to push you aside by not making a decision to obey you.  Amen.