to build a home

how appropriate that i recently found a song called "to build a home".

today was a fantastic day, again helping me to realize the reasons i was put here on this planet.

early, early this morning a group of american eagle managers (and a few associates) helped to build five houses for habitat for humanity; two for hamilton county and three for hurricane katrina victims in new orleans. it was sponsored by a church that holds a lot of clout in the community. so a few opening inspirational words were to be said at 8:30 and then all the hammering would commence. well, seeing as a lot of men were the heads of the teams, a lot of hammering started as soon as they had the tools and wood in hand. 8:30 rolls around and the head pastor gets up to say a few words about which woods get certain nails, blahblahblah...and then he asked us all to bow our heads for a word of prayer.
and all the sound stopped. all sound. silence and quiet. it was the greatest example of how everyone is drawn to commune with God. and then as soon as the amens came, the hammering began exactly where it had left off. absolutely comforting, that moment.

then, throughout the hours, frustrations came and went, and fatigue began to set in. but finally, we were all done. one house was put together for publicity shots and the like. and it was just so fantastic to see how every small piece of wall could be put together to make a home.
then it was time for the dedication ceremony for the two families who would be getting the houses in hamilton county. both were single mothers. one (mrs.sanchez) had three daughters, probably in their mid-teens. the other (dawn) had a tiny, little girl named olivia. and when the habitat for humanity leader asked if the little girl had anything to say, she pointed to the wooden frame that was freshly erected and said excitedly and very matter-of-factly, "that's my house! that's MY house!"
and i lost it. and all the mother could get out was a 'thank you', as she swept up her daughter in her arms, knowing that all the hard times were going to be washed away in these last tears.

and everything inside of me went crazy. there is a fire within me. and i will not put it out. because i don't want to put it out. i want to make a difference in this world. and it has started by building houses.

and even though i had to work after and close the store, i just stood around all night, thinking about olivia. how she would have her very own room, how her mother would have cupboards for all the groceries, and thinking how all those walls were built with love and sweat and the hopes of a new future.

God bless Habitat for Humanity.
God bless Mrs.Sanchez and her daughters.
God bless Dawn and little Olivia.

"that's my house! that's MY house!"
i wish everyone in the world could have seen that little girl's face.

the big move.

well, not too big, but for me, kinda big. i've lived in northern indiana all my life. and though i have felt pulled to go everywhere all at once, i am remaining in indiana. but have moved more central. to the nice little area of carmel. it seems nice, it looks nice, and it's nice to have my dear friend lynsi griffin as a next door neighbor.
now, if i can get the rest of my life to start lining up for me, i think i'll be fantastic!
now my body just needs some time to recuperate. i moved on sunday and monday and then it was straight to work yesterday and today. thankfully i was smart enough to take a PTO day for tomorrow...because i feel pretty dead right now. everything just needs to lay in the bed just a bit longer.
nothing new other than the move though. the prospects are promising...

kacy & riley

today i felt very humbled. all the problems i carry on my shoulders suddenly lost their gravity.
a young mother along with her not even two-year-old daughter in a stroller came in today, shopping like everyone else. kacy had a cute, short haircut, and her baby riley was quiet and unassuming with her big blue eyes. same love and affection, same playful relationship.
one thing that set them apart: both kacy and riley had more than 70% of their upper bodies covered in scars from what i can only assume was a terrible fire or a car accident. little riley had the tiniest pink cast on her left arm and disfigurations on her left.
how do these things happen? when, where, why?
all i know is that it was like seeing the hands of God. those two children of Jesus just browsing the clearance rounders, in their own special place, immune to all the pitiful on-lookers like myself. they're happy to be alive. God bless them. truly.