I’m in! First night in the “shack”! It started well. Most of the day was spent getting set up. Things like ridding the shack of the large wasps’ nest that still existed despite hammering on the roof, loading onto a trailer, and driving for ten miles… they were pretty resilient till they met Raid. Ripping off the old felt paper disturbed the home of the large woodland cockroaches that scattered throughout-once again, Raid became my friend. There was even a small bird’s nest glued to the wall on the inside of the shack, a sort of half nest-the shape of a half moon, with one lone, hatched egg laying inside of it-perhaps a dove or sparrow? I let that stay-something neat about having that inside with me.
So, I wasn’t quite sure if I would meet up with any critters in the evening. They were not an issue thankfully! After such a long day setting up, I was looking forward to a quiet night and great sleep. “Looking forward” would be the operative phrase. If I had been looking for more of an evening concert, it would have been awesome! The bar down the street had a live band in preparation for Auburn’s home game this weekend-and it did not end till 2:00 AM. That kept a steady barrage of students walking the sidewalks and sharing their relationship secrets to everyone around. Add that with steady drums and base guitar and you had a recipe for a lyrical all-nighter. The music finally ended and I quickly entered into a deep sleep.
I was jolted out of sound slumber by the swishing of pressure washers and scouring of power brushes as the street cleaners came through at 5:00 AM. I had reset my alarm for 6:00 AM hoping for an extra thirty minutes. Unfortunately, every industrial cleaning vehicle in Auburn passed by the shack prohibiting even the slightes restful doze. I started my next day on the fumes of three hours of uninterrupted sleep.
The morning did get better as I was greeted with a smile and a wonderful breakfast from Chick-fil-A by the Duke family. Having the gift of coffee felt like a rich blessing and the warmth of the fire added to the aura of the morning. My devotional time took on deeper meaning as I thanked God for His provisions and began to pray for the students heading to class weary after a long night of studying and preparation.
I simply thought of the families we serve and how their need is so focused upon God. The typical creature comforts I experience like a soft bed, conditioned air, no bugs, and quiet many times escape families living in their “shacks”. When the extensive rain causes your ceiling to cave in and you have no insulation, or you are worried about the snakes coming through the holes in your floor, it makes your perspective different. And I am grateful. “Blessed are the poor in spirit (those who recognize their need for God), theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”
Our tally on Day 1 was $1466 so we are off to a great start! You can continue to help us grow and get me out of the shack!
Blessings!
lisa
Comments are closed