Broken Chair Fixes Man

I witnessed a small miracle this week. Dean resurrected some of his tools, dusted them off, and set about fixing a chair that broke down when he went to get up from it one day. It was an old chair we've had for years that had a lot of memories attached, so I can understand his motivation to get it fixed.

This is what my spare bedroom has looked like all week!

I've never seen him so enthusiastic about getting something done around here. (It took him almost a year to clean off his dresser. You can actually see the top of it now, so even with more clutter there than I'd like, it's a big improvement.)

And then there was the neighbor lady across the street. When a tree was hit by lightning a year ago (see my September 16, 2013 post) and ended up in her backyard, Dean offered to cut it up for her so she could have it hauled away. Dean, who made a living at logging, was thrilled at the chance of powering up his chain saw, even though Alberta and I were trembling at the thought of him falling and/or getting hurt in the process of such a physically demanding job. Unfortunately, his success was denied because the big chain saw, which had been sitting idle in our garage for years, just wouldn't come back to life for him.

After these rare attempts at handyman work, it really looks like he has reached a milestone in the furniture repair field. If his "glue" work holds, it will serve him many more years of happy TV watching in another room. (It helps the cabin fever to have two comfy places in the house for relaxation. We can actually "get away from each other" without leaving the house, if you know what I mean.)

If only he had lost 30-50 pounds while working, I'd be more confident in the lasting quality of this repair job. But at least he's still in the handyman game and I'm glad for that.

Isn't it great how God keeps us useful, even though we feel all used up? I pray that God uses me for every ounce of service He can squeeze out of my old body too.

The finished product!

Our Anchor

Today I got a phone call from the realtor that brought good news for once to our family! At last my parents' house sold, the one we've had on the market almost a year now. The final selling price was significantly less than we were hoping to get at first. But after waiting this long, any amount sounds good.

Here's where I could veer off into a thousand remembrances of my parents and the house that I spent my early years in. I have a picture of me standing in front of it on my first day of school. It will be painful to go to Council Bluffs in the morning and sign all the papers there at the very empty house, but I know God will get me through it somehow.

This past year has had its share of family crises. Our parents were our anchors, and it has felt like we were adrift at first without them. In dealing with these difficult situations, however, my siblings and I are learning that the only anchor we really need is our Lord and Savior. And that is a far more valuable legacy from our parents than the sale of any home. God is truly all we need.