Weekly Update: 10.19.24
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5, ESV
It is hard to categorize some weeks. We made quite a bit of progress around our homestead over the last seven days. At the same time, we seemed to be bombarded with various forms of trials and suffering -- a cold snap, sick pets, a death in our extended family, and health issues -- including a trip to the ER for one family member. With so much upheaval, few of us slept well for most of the week, leaving everyone exhausted and somewhat cranky. We know we are called to rejoice in our sufferings, but for most of us, we mainly endured this week, persevering in the work we have before us.
Last Saturday, we drove to Springfield for groceries and building supplies. We have been looking for some affordable clay brick for our woodstove hearth, and we were thrilled to find some at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. They had several colors and varieties to choose from. We settled on a red brown that we think will look nice with our VCT tile. While we were in town, we also picked up several chimney lengths and some roof flashing at Menards.
When we got home Saturday afternoon, we dove right back into our kitchen wall. Grace and I finished putting up our interior siding while our dad framed and trimmed the window. It's amazing how a finished window adds to a wall. When we stood back and looked at our work, we couldn't stop smiling. It feels so good to see what we have worked towards for so long finally come together.
On Monday, Grace and I planned to white wash the walls. Prepping and cleaning ended up taking most of the day, so we pushed it off until Tuesday. It ended up being a good choice, as it took us all day to finish whitewashing the kitchen and laundry areas. The perk of whitewashing is that it only takes one coat. But that coat was a process, as we used a small brush to do the gap between the boards and a larger brush to do the faces. Then, we had to go back and blend "seems" where sections of work overlapped. It was long and tedious, but the results were stellar.
While we painted, the rest of the family winterized before our first frost. Our dad double checked all our pipe and water lines, making sure everything was well insulated. Bonnie-Jean, Erin, and our nieces harvested and cleaned out the garden. They picked everything that was left, and then they pulled out the plants. The garden was a huge project this year, and it felt good to see it through to completion. We now have bins of peppers as well as red and green tomatoes stacked in the bunkhouse. We hope to preserve most of it this week.
When the temperature dropped Tuesday night, we were thankful for our little propane Mr. Heater Buddy Heater. Since our woodstove is already in the bunkhouse, we needed an alternative. The Buddy heater warmed the tent right up, and our feather duvets kept us snug all through the night. We didn't know when we purchased our "emergency" heater last year just how often we would use it. It has turned out to be one of our best purchases.
After the walls were white washed, Grace and I turned our attention to the floor. I worked on the underlayment on Wednesday. Grace assisted me when I needed help, spending the rest of her time painting trim. Our dad milled corner trim for the walls, and we are using plain one-by-fours for our baseboards. On Thursday, both of us worked together to finish and secure the underlayment.
Friday was tile day. I was excited and nervous, having anticipated this part of the project for weeks. I can get a little OCD about these sorts of things, so I was especially glad we had Grace on this project. She always seems to balance perfection with efficiency much better than I do. Once again, we started in the water heater closet, learning the technique of cutting and laying the Armstrong VCT tile. Then we moved to the kitchen area. We are glad, once again, to be starting in a part of the house that will be mostly covered with appliances. If we make any mistakes now, we can correct them for the rest of the living room.
While we worked, Grace and I often tried to encourage one another in our attitudes. Stress assailed our environment, and we kept reminding each other that God was in control. We have our time tables and what we think we need to get done every day. God knows what we actually need to accomplish, and He gives us the ability each day to do those things. Some of what we dealt with last week is over; some things are not. We continue to endure, and as we turn our minds to a new week, I hope we can rejoice more. As Paul wrote, I know our endurance can ultimately produce characters grounded in hope that doesn't disappoint -- no matter what we face.
