Thoughts on the Last Day
Posted by Margaret, a youth at St. Paul's
Today was our last day on the work site, and I always have a hard time saying "goodbye." After missing work yesterday (I was feeling under the weather), I was very eager to have the chance to work again today; to see our group put in all our final efforts to finish up our portion of Ms. Bates' house.
The day started with the group of Emma, Chandler, Olivia, and I sponging the walls to remove mud dust. This group and I readily accepted this new task. After working with the finest dust all week, working with a wet substance was a wonderful change of pace. As we were whipping down the walls, we attempted to master the "art of sponging" according to one of our crew chiefs for the day. As I understand it, this is a balance of too much or too little water. (Wetting the walls too much can damage the sheetrock, and too little will not remove all of the dust, which can mess up the paint job). So as we gradually learned how much to wring out the sponges, I noticed that these walls, which we have sanded and mudded multiple times throughout the week, looked gorgeous damp! The water revealed each layer of mud and the screws and the sheetrock. This part of the process led me to thoughts about the storm.
I feel like there are some similarities with the process of cleaning the walls and with Katrina. We will always experience bumps in the roads of life, but when one too large comes through, it can damage memories along the way. I think sometimes that struggle and strife can lead to growth and hope; it is in the risks we take in response to struggle in strife that we have the opportunity to find meaning. We had to risk putting too much water on the walls in order to complete the cycle of rebuilding, a light wash removed the unwanted. However, at that same time, that substance, water, is what caused the home to become an unoccupied building.
The water is a source of destruction. The water is a source of healing. It is in our choice of how to respond to or how to use the water that we discover something about who we are as people, as Christians, as a community.
Thanks to all of you for working so hard to help others in need, for extending our St. Paul’s community, and for having spirited fun in the process! That’s what it’s all about.