the couches

Hey there! Looks like I will finally be able to blog again more regularly! We have moved (finally) to our new house. While unpacking will obviously take some weeks of work, we are in! After prayers, tears, prayers, more tears, and almost a full year, we have a little plot of earth in our state of Mississippi. I will definitely be sharing our experience with home buying. Every experience has a spiritual component, I feel.

I do want to share a quick story about what happened last Tuesday before I try to quiet my gassy infant. By the way, if someone has any information on gas and acid reflux, that would be great. If not, this may be another five months of pain until she outgrows this like our middle girl.

On this rainy, overcast day, the doorbell rang and my first thought was, "Great, the dogs got out and are bothering the construction workers from the six houses going up around us." I went to the door expecting the worst and met with two construction men. They said something in Spanish. Let me just say, foreign languages have never been my forte and high school was a few years ago, but I understand "dos." They motioned toward the two couches placed by the roadside. I asked if they wanted them and they nodded. I told them they were welcome to take them but apologized profusely for them being wet, moldy, and missing cushions. The man said it did not matter. H was taking them to his house. As I closed the front door, I saw him back his truck up and his friends help him load them into the back bed. I was stunned for a few minutes. I went back out to let them know I would look for the cushions.

One of the reasons we left our old rental house was the mold problem. All of us constantly felt bad, had runny noses, congestion, and headaches. When we moved in, we had to get rid of lots of stuff covered in mold because it could not be kept. The couches included. We treated the mold a bit, but were afraid to take them into the new house, so we set them by the road. I did not complain about finding a new couch because I know in time, we can save up and get another one. I also know the stuff I do complain about. Ouch. I am embarassed about some of that! This man was thankful for finding a couch that had been rained on all morning, not to mention missing cushions. I thought about his wife and kids sitting on it. My heart broke. I thought about how he probably helped build our house and then gets an old couch from out front of it.

You know, that man is just as valuable to God as you, me, or anyone else. Jesus Christ died for that man, just as He did for everyone else. Let's not dismiss people as insignificant. All lives deserves a chance. All lives deserve dignity. From the unborn baby to the disabled, from the young to the old, from the rich to the poor, from the blue collar workers to the CEO of companies. None of us deserve the gift of eternal life found in Jesus, but we all are offered it. Let's learn to see people the way God sees them. Let's be broken for the things that break the heart of God. Let's make an intentional effort to treat people with respect no matter what. Let's celebrate the dignity of LIFE. God bless you today!

Love,

Charis