Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Day 13 of Lent, Wednesday, March 19, 2014

There is a spiritual value in getting dirty.

I don't mean the Christina Aguilera kind of dirty but the getting your hands dirty to where you wash repeatedly and your fingernails are still stained.

We had a great work crew go to Cashion First United Methodist Church to work on several projects.

We painted two church signs so that they look fresh and relevant.

We weeded the flower bed around the main church sign.

We cut down an enormous cedar tree that had died - it didn't look so bad in the winter but in the summer, it really sends the wrong message for people visiting the church.

We re-roofed the church annex building where they host Cashion's food pantry twice a month.  This was the largest job that took the most effort.

I've not roofed in a number of years - probably the last time was on a mission trip to Joplin but I did more on an earlier trip to Greensburg, Kansas.

My back is sore and my hands are scraped up.  My face is windblown and my neck is sunburned.
As you can see from this picture, everyone is working.


But I feel an accomplishment that is more satisfying than many days in the office.

The fellowship was great and I was proud of everyone on the crew.  We all worked hard and made a difference for this community.

It was also a pleasure to be hosted by the church.  The ladies who prepared meals for us were fun to be around and very gracious.

I saw Christ in everyone we encountered - those we worked with and those who hosted us.  As we consider Matthew 25:31-45, we can see that it does become easier to serve others when we engage our faith.

It becomes spiritual and that makes the work meaningful.

As I soak up some hot water in a few minutes, I will relish the relief from the soreness and the dirt.  But I appreciate them for what they represent.

We should all periodically get our hands dirty for someone else.

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