Ugh!! Anything that could go wrong, had gone wrong with this rebuilding project! We’d had to dig a new water well and go 50 feet deeper than the one before. The septic system had to be replaced. Finally, our contractor told us that if we could do any of the work ourselves, it would help keep the costs down. Caleb borrowed a ditch digger and dug the trench for the pipes leading from the house to the septic system and replaced pipes himself. The electrician came and showed him how to run the wires through the walls and he did all of that work. We both did the mudding and taping after the sheetrock was hung. Caleb put in recessed lighting and hung ceiling fans. Then the electrician came and connected it all—praising Caleb for a job well done! While he did that, I grouted around windows and trim on the outside of the house. A friend came and showed us how to tile a shower, so we did the tile work in the other two bathrooms, entryway, and kitchen. We also planned on painting every room in the house. No doubt about it, we’d have a bunch of new skills after this house was finished.
I was in the middle of hanging wallpaper in the master bedroom when Henry came running in and said, “Mom! You better come quick! Matthew’s arm is stuck in a drain pipe!” It was the uncovered pipe leading to the old septic tank—and Matthew had dropped a Hot Wheel down the pipe and was trying to retrieve it. We eventually got his arm out after dousing it with a bottle of Crisco vegetable oil! “Caleb, we’ve got to do something for these kids,” I told him, “They’re bored because we’re too preoccupied. They’re going to get hurt unless we give them something to do!” We’d involved them as much as possible, but it wasn’t enough. Caleb said, “You know, we told them we’d replace the trampoline the tornado destroyed. Let’s do it now.” That night, after we fell into bed, we ordered a trampoline online. It would arrive in two days. We decided to wait and surprise the kids.
We were exhausted. Building a house (especially with continually skyrocketing prices!) was not for the faint of heart. Practically every night as I showered, I had a good cry. I was so tired, I literally hurt. Some nights, I was so tired I couldn’t sleep. My house was a mess and we hadn’t had clean clothes in a week. I could tell my ever-calm husband’s nerves were being stretched to the breaking point. Just tonight, I heard him telling David, “Son, I’m sorry for yelling at you today. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?” We needed this project to be over. Even though we were seeing progress, it was hard to get excited because so many projects still needed to be completed.
I came home to our FEMA trailer house after hanging wallpaper, and saw two cars parked out front. That looked like Jason & Jennifer Wilson’s car. And George & Miss Shirley’s! I walked in the house and saw what they’d done, and sat down and bawled like a baby. They’d cleaned the house, the washer was going, they’d brought a meal, and were feeding the kids. George whispered, “Caleb told us you had something that needed to be put together. Lead the way! Jason & I brought our tools.” I took them to the barn and showed them the trampoline which had arrived that afternoon. Within an hour, our five kids and the Wilson’s two kids were taking turns doing flips. The safety net was worth the extra money for my peace of mind. Even Ellie was loving it! She squealed, “Look Mommy, I jump!” Thank goodness Henry could help her up and down the ladder which would free me up in the days to come.
Before we fell asleep that night, Caleb pulled me close and began praying, “God, we’re so rich! Thank you for the friends You’ve given us. People have helped us, loaned us equipment, brought meals, babysat, slipped us money, and done hard labor to save us money. Please bless them all! We’re so tired. Please renew our strength and give us the stamina to push through to the finish line. And God? Let us be the kind of friend others need. Don’t let us get tunnel vision. Help us always to be looking for ways to help others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Right before falling asleep, I thought “There WILL be an end to this, right, God?”
It felt like the tornado had happened years ago.
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