I have spent a bit of time on the Habitat for Humanity site this week, we wanted to get the house finished so that the family could move in before Christmas. On Thursday night I went up and worked on a shed we built for them. We finished around 10 p.m. On Saturday I started on site at about 8:45 a.m. and finished again at 10 p.m. I had drawn up a list of jobs that needed to be done and we crossed them off one by one. We added a few we also did, just so we could have the satisfaction of crossing them off. At 10 I drove home with my little van filled and the roof rack stacked with "stuff" from the site. It is not unpacked yet. I had a wee snigger to myself at the house dedication today. A fellow volunteer said to me, "When you told us we wanted the family in the house by Christmas, most of us thought you were dreaming! .... but it happened!"
Opening Surprise
I went to the dedication/opening today. I had to take a prayer to bless the house. I arrived, took my hammer and took the last bit of boxing out of some concrete we laid last night. After some Maori protocol we all moved inside and the chairman of Habitat made a speech and officially handed over the key to Mike and Christine. Mike replied. He was of course very thankful for the house, didn't want to name names, but thankful for Habitat for Humanity as an organisation and all the people who contributed. I was busy lining up to take his photo when he went on with something like the following. "You have to always be open and learn in life and its good to learn from others. There are people you can see as a role model in life and learn from them. There has been such a man as this for me on site. He has been there every Saturday. Sometimes even when he has not been well or things have been tough, but he has remained as cheerful as usual and kept working and turning up." I was watching and listening and immediately thought of my friend Martin. Then Mike went on... "He has sung his little songs and carried on." "Well that's not Martin" I thought, "Who could it be?" Mike then said, "The person I am talking about is Dave. He is just awesome!" Me a role model? Me awesome? Grumpy, expletive using parson, me? The guy who got so mad he said, "F***" and walked off? The guy who often got up on a Saturday morning saying, "Oh I wish I didn't have to go!" But Mike and everybody else in the room was looking at me! All I could do was wink and say, "You better be quiet or I'll sing you one of my songs!"
It has blown me away. During the time of the build I have grown to respect and love Mike as a great guy. He is a proud Maori who is really making a contribution to our community and to his people. He is softly spoken, has a beautiful smile and is so so lovely, affirming and loving to his ten children. Yet he sees me as a role model? I just turned up and did what I thought had to be done. I didn't even go out of my way to relate, I tended to be nose down task orientated.... friendly but focused on getting through the jobs.
My thoughts are that none of us ever knows the impact we may have. We are called to continue being faithful and loving, and in spite of our feet of clay, our ballsups, our own inadequate feelings, the loving Spirit at the heart of the universe can use us and work through us in ways we can never imagine. You and your efforts could be making a big difference to someone you rub shoulders with. If "He" can use me, he can use anyone.
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