That last Sunday when we told Pastor we’d be back Monday did have a bright side. During Pastor’s announcements he gleefully announced, “We have raised $150,000 for Into The Light Home. We’re half way there!” Clapping, hoots and hollers fill the sanctuary. “In three weeks we will have Into The Light Sunday and every offering goes to Into the Light Ministry.” Then he follows with a prayer starting our service.
The Lord whispers in my ear, “I want you to give your testimony next Sunday.” After the service I tell Pastor and he readily agrees.
Monday morning Gerri and I head to the house with several large black trash bags and my step ladder. We find the carport door left unlocked just as Pastor promised. Stepping into the house we stop, take a deep breath, shiver from the cold, and head into the kitchen.
We begin pulling dishes, cups, glasses, and bowls out. Gerri is on the step ladder and reaches to the far back corner of the cabinet for a bowl we didn’t see. She pulls out a small square bowl, “I found the keys!” she exclaims. Inside the bowl is a ring with 4 keys attached. We immediately start trying them on the doors to see if any fit. One does and we have no idea what the other three are for. She immediately texts Pastor telling him we found the keys.
“How were we supposed to find those clear in the back of a cabinet when the door was locked so no one could get in?” I ask. Gerri shrugs and continues to separate what we will trash and what can be donated. Gerri sets the “good stuff” we plan to donate onto the table. “We’ll box it up later.” she states.
Once cabinets and drawers are emptied and separated she turns to the refrigerator. “I can’t hold my nose and clear this crap out at the same time,” she states, and begins throwing old milk, bowls of yucky food, slices of what might have once been lunch meat, an opened carton of juice, and gradually she has everything in the garbage bag. Opening the freezer she doesn’t even bother to try to figure out what the frozen packages are and just shoves them in with the rest to go to the dump.
When finished with the frig she heads into the laundry room where we had found huge bags of who knows what. She finds boxes underneath the bags and is soon pulling stuff out of bags; old blankets, filthy pillows, and discolored sheets along with various clothes. She holds up a clear bag that has 2 brand new pillows inside. “Hey, we can use these, they’re brand new!” She exclaims while setting them aside.
When the wife had announced at church early on that certain items would be needed a very dear friend of mine gave me an almost new set of twelve dishes, saucers, and soup bowls. I had boxed them up and delivered them on that first visit to the house.
Once Gerri gets to the bottom of the bags we pull out a box. To my surprise and joy, its the dishes my friend donated! I had worried myself almost sick about them taking them with them or trashing them. More items are found in boxes and most goes into the trash bags for the dump.
While we’re buried in bags Pastor pulls in so we take a break. We’re walking through the house discussing what all needs to be done. My heart hurts just seeing all the work ahead but Pastor doesn’t seem to be fazed by it all. He’s upbeat, positive, and ready to get to work. “Now we can get it done!” He loads up the bags of trash in the back of his pickup and leaves, leaving us to finish up what we’ve started.
We have bags marked, “Donation” and a couple of bags marked “Keep.” The new pillows, a few twin size blankets that are in good shape, and one set of new sheets still in the clear plastic we’re saving. Dishes that will be donated are set aside. A few glasses and cups that are nice are set at one end of the table to be washed.
Finally getting through the bags and boxes we stand and look at what we’ve accomplished. “If you’ll clean the cabinet shelves I’ll come back tomorrow and put shelving paper in them.” I tell her. She agrees and while I sort through a few more things she cleans the cabinet shelves.
We feel positive about the work we have accomplished in the time we’ve been here today. At least its a start and we’re happy to have gotten a good bit done. On the drive home we’re discussing what all we found, what needs to be done yet, and who gets to hit the shower first.
Things are looking up, but will they stay that way?
Stay tuned to find out. Blessings to you.
Into The Light Ministry
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