Insignificance

Day FIVE

“Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” -R.C. Sproul

Another roof was built today. This time it was down the mountain, but the taptap carried our supplies down the road & then we unloaded it and took it the rest of the way. On our way to the home we passed the house that’s foundation was poured during the spring break trip. It is nearing completion and only lacks windows & a door. Standing before it seeing how it has taken shape in the past weeks was another testament to God’s faithfulness.

Once again Jesse & I were on drilling & sawing duty. I feel like I’m getting’ some toned arm muscles. By lunch time the only work that remained was metal roofing which we would do after lunch. For lunch today we went to the Baptist Mission. I got a present for each of my family & John. I also got a painting & stone statue for myself. At the Baptist Mission store I bought a jar of mango jam & a jar of mamba (Haitian peanut butter).

After a relaxing lunch at the Baptist Mission we returned to Guibert to finish the roof. My favorite part of building roofs is watching the homeowner as it nears completion & then is finally finished. Today as the last nail was hammered in, Joseph, the homeowner, stood on a mound of dirt & rubble marveling at his new home. Tears began to fill his eyes. As I stood next to the shack they had been living in for the past 5 months since the earthquake, I began to realize what a truly amazing gift from God this home is to the family. It meant shelter form the rain, a safe place to raise their family, a place to call their own.

Our team, the family, and part of the community piled inside the home to pray for the home & the family. Joseph & his wife thanked each of us personally and gave us a hug. I could see the gratitude on their faces.

In Haiti, need is overwhelming both before & after the earthquake. It is very easy to see the needs of the country and feel like each roof we build will never compare to all that needs to be done. It can feel so insignificant, and that is rightly so. I am insignificant. But then I remember my Mighty God. I remember His unsurpassable power as Creator of all the earth and His unconditional love as Heavenly Father.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I will delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Although I am insignificant, the God I serve has them power to move mountains & change lives, and if I allow myself to be used as a vessel then I can be a part of God’s work.

This night as I reflect on the day there is a family of 30 people who are sleeping in a sturdy home with a roof over their heads protected from the wind and rain because of the efforts of our team today, because God gave us the strength & grace to complete it, and because God has provided the means & weather to do His work. I am humbled by the chance to be used by God in such a tangible way to help roof a home for a beautiful Haitian family.