A short story…
It was Thursday around 9:00pm and I was fighting for joy and losing. I had my good friend Tommy meet me at the new house at 8:30am to help install countertops. As we began prepping the existing base cabinets it became clear that they would need to be replaced. It took a morning of demolition and an afternoon run to Lowes before we were ready for our initial task of installing the counters at 5:30pm. The work was slow but we had the counters roughed in and the sink hole cut before he took off for the night.
“I was in the basement watching the water level rise...”
I was in the house alone with a partially done kitchen and some cut pipes that would need to be connected to the sink by someone who knew what they were doing. The water was off so everything was ok until I went down stairs. I was in the basement watching the water level increase in a cutout in the foundation and start to make its way inside. I scurried for a towel and ran outside in the pouring rain for a pump to get things under control. As I worked (and worried) at getting the water under control I kept hearing water dripping which I blamed on the monsoon that was going on outside. Eventually I poked around what would you know; the water was running out of the cut pipes in the kitchen and I had no idea why! All I knew was that the new base cabinets were getting wet and I was losing my grip.
I call my friend Daniel who lives close by for advice and realized my battery was almost dead and I forgot my phone charger. I told him I would shut off my phone and call him back if I could figure something out. It took awhile for me to stop the leak but my phone was dead. I shook it and even talked loudly to it with the hopes of a quick burst of energy so I could call Daniel and save him a trip at 10:30pm. My tricks for a quick text never worked and I was left standing in the basement tired, cold, and defeated.
The joy I knew I should have had in Jesus was missing, I was complaining to God while trying to sing a Casting Crowns song, “I will praise you in this storm.” Nothing was working to pull me out of my little pit of despair, I was fed up and ready to light a match to the place but it was raining so hard it wouldn’t have worked.
“...I need to be careful to not allow a structure of wood and concrete to affect me more than Jesus.”
If the word pathetic has crossed your mind while reading this, you’re right, I was. But God is not finished with me yet! He taught me how I need to be careful to not allow a structure of wood and concrete to affect me more than Jesus. God is good, because today I was filled with joy praising king Jesus like those crowds were doing 2,000 years ago as he rode a donkey into Jerusalem. And, he sent friends to help finish the kitchen on Saturday!
Ways to pray
1. Clouse House
Pray that we would be moved in by Easter. There is a lot of renovating left to do for us to be able to move in, so please pray for patience, time to work, and for many hands!
2. Financial Support
Praise God for two new monthly financial supports! Pray that the letters that go out to area churches this week would be well received and they would jump on with partnering with us.
3. The Gospel and Our Neighborhood
Pray that relationships would be built with our new neighbors. We are beyond excited to make connections with our new neighbors and get plugged into the Goffstown community. Pray that God would be preparing opportunities even now.
Thank you for your prayers,
Landon Clouse