Although today was the nest to the last day of our work it was a day of reengagement.  The electrical team is pressing toward a complete rewiring of their house.  The drywall team put in its first full day at their second home and worked on drywall joints and the installation of a new ceiling.  The drop ceiling team worked to complete their second ceiling at their house.  Five of our folk were reassigned to a new home where some demolition had previously been done.  We tore out the bathroom walls, commode, ceiling and insulation.

Today, as other days, we engaged in conversation people who live or work in Long Beach.  Two young men working a sewer camera had lost everything.  They spoke of the challenge of simply finding the roads two weeks following the hurricane.  They said that they no longer ask, "How y'all doing?" but "How'd y'all make out with the storm?"  One man spoke of the challenge of finding qualified workers.  One homeowner said that his backyard was filled with five feet of debris from the coastal homes that had been destroyed in the storm surge.  People working at one of the hardware stores were very busy and they seemed to have no energy to talk about anything.  It seemed that they were in a "get through the day" mode.  When I offered to pick up supplies for a contractor working at a neighboring house he was clearly grateful, even though he had what he needed.

One of the common responses we received was gratitude.  A seventy-year-old neighbor came to our project house to greet us.  He told us how thankful he was that we had come down.  He brought us some cold soda which made us grateful.  On Friday evening, our kitchen crew will prepare a meal for the work crews, members and residents of the community.  We look forward to sharing with one another the acquaintances we have developed during the week.

Our devotional time this evening was led by one of the youth from the Elfinwild Church team who spoke about the engagement of service.  She announced that she would be reading from John 13 the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet.  (I quietly removed my sandals at which she said, in a playfully sharp tone, "Put your shoes back on!")  She spoke about Jesus' washing the disciples' feet as only one of his acts of service for humankind.

Her reflections on that passage started a fascinating conversation among our two church teams about the trust that we had experienced from the people with whom we had been working.  As someone said, "normally you watch contractors carefully as they work in your home, but here people welcome us and let us work on their most private space".  They did not ask for credentials, nor did they have extensive conversations about their expectations.  This level of trust likely comes from the depth of their need, but also, I assume, word of mouth reports of such church teams and their helpful service.

Members of our church teams also shared how vital it was that we have been engaged with and serving one another.  One of the team members mentioned that he had been working on a ceiling that required someone to steady his ladder without which he could not have done the job.  Another person mentioned their gratitude for help during their tour of duty in the kitchen.

I am thinking that beyond being nice and generally virtuous, Jesus' example of serving reveals that such serving and encouraging is part of God's plan for the church and for humankind.  "...encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11) is more than practical let's-get-along-with-one-another counsel in the New Testament.  If that is true then we will anticipate that we will have opportunity each day to help one another and that such help is not an exceptional service, but basic to our creation as God's children.  "...God has so arranged the body...that...the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." (1 Corinthians 12:24-26)

Jesus started a revolution of love for others.  How life becomes an adventure (and mutual blessing) when we follow his example and serve one another!

Steve