February 14 – “Valentine’s Day”

Today was our day to clean the church.  But first we got to play with Jachin and Micah for awhile before their parents showed up.  They were very excited about the "privilege" they had been afforded of sleeping on the floor in Nana and DadDad's bedroom.  I can't remember the last time I saw sleeping on the floor - or the ground in the case of camping – as a privilege.  Must have something to do with being young.   We went by the house to pick up the mail.  It was kind of exciting to walk around and look at all the plumbing stuff that has been done.  We have a faucet on the outside that wasn't there before.  Then there's that little refrigerator icemaker box.  And the bathtub and shower parts are all in.  They're still not finished, though.  The backyard faucet hasn't been connected yet.  And they haven't even begun the gas line work.  I don't know what all is needed there.    We drove through the rain to the church.  Not bad rain.  That came later in the day.  Just enough to make it feel miserable.  There was someone on the church grounds when we arrived.  We didn't recognize him at first.  His car didn't look familiar, either.  That made us think he was one of the guys working on the school building.  We went on inside so Chris could get started.  I had to go pick up the mail.  That's when I realized who the guy was.  Ned and his wife have been coming to Seaside for several months.  Great family.  Ned was following through on a call he received from God to do something.  Not something dramatic or newsworthy.  He was filling up a wheelbarrow with dirt and filling in holes around pilings.  All by himself.  Slow work.  One shovel full at a time.  He didn't have to be there.  He didn't broadcast that he was.  He just did it.  What he could, when he could do it.  We talked for awhile, then he invited us over for lunch.   Philippians 2:1-4 says: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."   Father, bless Ned.  He was being like you today.  Amen.