Recently I was looking at some photos of our community house with the folks at Renos by James. All of the sudden I realized that I was looking at a photo that I thought was taken this year but that MUST have been taken earlier because it depicted our old dangerous front walkway.
“When was that taken?” I asked.
Well, it turns out it was taken in January of last year when we first started to talk and dream about this project.
This has been a long process and there have been a lot of points along the way where we thought it might never happen. Who ever imagined it would take six months to get a permit, for example? At times it has seemed impossible but we’ve also been pleasantly surprised by God’s generosity along the way.
From helping us to find the best possible contractor right in our own neighbourhood (as part of our commitment to this neighbourhood we place a high value on supporting local businesses), to the overwhelming generosity of people who have made donations to cover the costs (we’re very close, only about $10,000 is still needed), to the people God is already preparing to move into that space (maybe it’s you? Let’s talk!), the whole process has been a lesson in both patience, as we lean into God’s timing, and joy as we learn about God’s generous abundance.
Last night was another wonderful piece of this continuing story – as part of our regular potluck and prayer time we braved the cold and headed upstairs to make our mark by covering the wood framing of each room with prayers, blessings, and artwork. We also had the opportunity to sing two of our favourite songs together in that space – “Happy Birthday” and “Praise God From Whom all Blessing Flow.”
And it sounded wonderful.
We all appreciate your prayers, financial support, and willingness to volunteer to help us complete this project. We know we couldn’t do this without your support!
And if you’re feeling a particular tug to explore what it’s like to do life in the context of Christian community, we may just have a beautifully blessed new bedroom just for you!
Click here to see some images of our prayer time.