Little Things

This week I was invited to go to a ribbon cutting ceremony for a Habitat for Humanity home in the township next to my town. I didn't know a whole lot about Habitat previously, but what an organization. I had thought these homes were given to folks, but the commitment is much stronger and deeper. The families that get a Habitat home have a 30 year low cost mortgage with Habitat, and each family member must work at least 160 hours towards the construction. This is a great plan, to the family has blood, sweat and tears invested in the home.

This particular family, has seven children, and were very thankful and humble. The father had a nice tale about the journey back into a home. In 2006 his family lost their home. The family had to live "of all places" in a public housing complex. Raising a family the right way in public housing cannot be easy. So many negative influences around. The couple had a dream to work their way back into a home. The wife wanted something new built, or at least 2000 or newer, and the husband said "yeah right." The Husband wanted something they could afford on their income budget, and the wife said "yeah right." When the opportunity to work with Habitat to build and own a home came up, the family was happy and blessed that God never said "yeah right" to their dream of home ownership. What a blessing to work hard to recover, get out of public housing, and have a nice home for your family, that you built. The family joked they looked forward to upholding their end of the new 30 year friendship with Habitat.

Lots of things can get in the way of appreciating what you have. I am luck to have parents that stayed together and raised my brother and I well, an education, a good career, brothers across the country, great friends, a beautiful and loving wife, two healthy kids and a roof over our heads. During the ribbon cutting it wasn't the family getting the house that should be humbled, it was me. I need to spend more time and effort helping others in need, and realizing the power of giving. Little things in my life may be big things in someones life, and I don't need so many little things.

JDM

Love you and miss you every day buddy. Your sis CGM and new bro CWM both pray for you every day.