A Barn Raising?

My alarm sounded at 6:30 am on Saturday morning. Granted, I am a morning person... but this is early, even for me. Having the pure heart of a volunteer, I had signed up to work Habitat for Humanity with my church singles group (the heart of the volunteer actually wanted to check out the cute guys that might be hefting and hammering—and serve, of course).


I must preface by saying... I should not be left unattended with power tools, or with a hammer for that matter. I know this about myself. Nine times out of ten I will hit my thumbnail, rather than the actual nail head when employing a hammer. Let's not even imagine the damage I could do with a nail gun. So... I signed up to work the registration table for two reasons... 1) I then get to meet everyone and everyone meets me (brilliant, huh?) and 2) this would keep me a safer distance from any tools (both building tools and any other tools-- they do exist in Christian singles groups).

Because I'm working "registration"... I fixed my hair (no cap and pony tail-- although after getting my hair chopped last Wednesday that's no longer an option), wore one of my cutest sweaters, cute jeans, fuzzy boots, and my beautiful red scarf and leopard print gloves. After all, I'm here to serve the greater good... one must look presentable. Hmmm... I must admit, I felt a bit conspicuous in all my "cuteness". Note to self: try to downplay next time.

However, my "job" was perfect for me, and by the end of the day... I felt like the most popular girl at school! I was the "go to" girl, and I also helped with mid morning snacks and lunch (which automatically endears you to the hearts of hungry workers). My main purpose was insuring that everyone signed in and completed the "liability waiver". No problem. I only had to wrestle a couple of peeps to the ground to get the waiver. I'm a giver like that.

Aside from my unwarranted popularity, I was truly amazed by the entire process of Habitat for Humanity. This was the first week of work on our house. It will be complete by December 5th (and we’re taking on week off for Thanksgiving). When I arrived early Saturday morning... there was a slab. A slab. By the time I left at 1:30, all of the walls were up and they were starting on trusses (the roofy stuff). I couldn't help but in my mind compare this to a Little House on the Prairie type "barn raising". I imagined for a moment, myself in my prairie skirt and apron, arranging and preparing vittles, and ringing the "chow bell" at lunch. In reality, I was unpacking paper plates and napkins, and opening and stacking pizza boxes. There was however, a bell for me to ring. I think this contributed to my popularity. She who has control of the bell... rules the job site.

In reality, we are building the home for a single mom with a 3-year-old girl (almost 4-- her birthday is Monday). You learn additional fun information, when you are not racing around raising walls and sawing wood. I, did however, wear a tool belt at the urging of our singles director (it had the church name and other promotional insignia on it). I used it to hold my cell phone and my lip-gloss. Handy, right? I also learned about the process applicants follow, the requirements, the cost, and the obvious benefits that Habitat offers its families. Habitat is needed for people who need the help of a community, but don’t have one. Living in the big, cold city… community is hard to find.

Ultimately, I will return to help with more than liability waivers and pizza. I plan to help when we begin sheet rocking, taping and bedding, and the more cosmetic touches. These are my gifts (outside of the obvious gift of hospitality and friendliness—of course).

The most important lesson I learned… there are a lot of good people in the world. People who want to help and people who need help. We are all, at one point in our life, in one category or both. And by helping others… it helps the giver, the receiver, and heals all parties involved.