Saturday was an amazing day between painting 5 houses with a hundred volunteers, doing a bbq in our South Ranch Park and finishing with taking my dad to dinner at his favorite Chinese Buffet. I am learning to trust God with both the biggies and the little things in life. After doing 40 houses over the last 3 years I know that I take a chance in putting out equipment the day before the event. I have gotten lectures from different grandmas about not taking chances. So this Saturday I truly believed would be ok with putting out paint and supplies for 5 houses.
The morning started off great with a large group of volunteers gathering at Hermoso Park. We had Stormwind, a video company, doing a video of the event along with key interviews of different partners and some of my grandmas. I know that the best plans can always be given a detour by God's design. So I had already gotten a call from Mrs. Jefferson saying that she had a funeral, Sylvia had texted to say she had to work and that we had to come to her if that worked. So as we are doing the send off one of my real partners, Brad Ghaster, decides to show up for a few minutes. So the video crew gets to interview him! I get a chance to fill him in on how he has helped over the last 2 years.
As I make my way to the first house it struck me that I had 2 main groups back out or 'flake' out at the last minute. Yet, as I pulled up to Deborra's house there were 20 volunteers working on the house. I was excited to see some of my youth that typically don't help much actually diving in and doing something. As I am finishing say bye to everyone I get a call from one of the houses saying that there is only 5 gallons of pain there? I am confused and again ask the person to go look again and make sure it isn't some place different. It becomes clear that the paint had been stolen - bummer how could anyone do that and not take all of the supplies. I am actually glad they took the paint and not supplies. So I had one of my special helpers, Jared/Sammy, follow me to my house and get some more paint. The house actually needed lots of prep so the group continued to do scrapping and attacking a large dead bush. Everything worked out just fine in spite of me having a minor heart attack.
As I check out another house it again strikes me that as one group isn't able to gather too many volunteers another group steps up and makes a big difference. I was blessed to see the homeowners go out of their way to clean up their houses and get ready for the blitz. So I drive to the last house which is close to my house. This is an older grandma who is in her 80's on oxygen and does dialysis 3 times a week. My lunch group is the one who is rock and rolling on this house. They have the sprayer going and have taped everything. My video crew shows up and I get to be interviewed for the next 30 minutes. While this is going on I know that my bbq group has encountered one of the South Ranch moms who is on the hoa board and is causing some heart ach. I know that I had 'sinned' by not getting official permission to use the park. She definitely is upset but calms down and the event in the park is a great success. So as I am being asked questions I have all of this going on in the back of my brain.
I am now finishing up with the crew and get to talk with Molly the grandma. She is in tears because of the help and is so thankful to discover that I am a pastor and can help her grandsons. I am humbled to see how God puts all of this together in a way that shows His plan unfolding!
As usual the waterside and bbq is a hit at the South Ranch Park. We enjoy sitting around eating, talking and watching the kids have fun. It is a warm 96 degrees this Saturday whereas last Saturday it was raining and 50 degrees. Again God's timing is perfect and that I need to relax and trust Him with the details. So as I am typing this Joseph, the head guy for the Starbucks in my neighborhood, asks if I will help him organize a large neighborhood event in a month. I am excited but again humbled to think of all the work that will go into a huge event with probably a 1000 people not a couple hundred.
I am learning that I get what I need as I need it not in any advance setting usual. It is going to be a great day as Easter is just a few days away.
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