The Narrow Gate: Day 254

The Narrow Gate

Welcome to the continuation of my blog, post-seminary. Ministry and evangelism have brought me back home to Chattanooga. I welcome your company on my journey.

The original blog, Down In Mississippi, shared stories from 2008 and 2009 of the hope and determination of people in the face of disaster wrought by the hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, of work done primarily by volunteers from churches across America and with financial support of many aid agencies and private donations and the Church. My Mississippi posts really ended with the post of August 16, 2009. Much work, especially for the neediest, remained undone after the denominational church pulled out. Such is the nature of institutions. The world still needs your hands for a hand up. I commend to you my seven stories, Down in Mississippi I -VII, at the bottom of this page and the blog posts. They describe an experience of grace.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Day 254 - More Nails

Today we installed 2x12's and supporting piers as a temporary solution to the crushing girders of our home in Pearlington that is up on 13 foot piers. It took Michael, Julia, Jessi and I about four hours.

We started about 9:30AM. I decided to add about one-eighth to one-quarter inch to the height of the temporary piers because the girders are so crushed. This worked out fine, we had a little struggle with the first pier but by 1:30PM we were packing up our tools to leave.

After a quick bite to eat, Michael and I went over to Bay St. Louis to look at a home that took on about three or so feet of water from Katrina. It's an interesting home, had 3/4 inch heart pine paneling but the whole interior needs work. The woman that lives there had a bad day, troubles with teenage daughter and just the press of all this with little resources to repair. Michael and I talked to her about how we could redo the interior and accommodate her children; then we took some basic measurements.

I dropped Mike off at the Village and headed back. By the time I drove into the Village in Gulfport, Mike was on the phone. Our homeowner had tried to go into his unfinished house on the piers for some reason. The doors (over the girder we supported and lifted a smidgeon) are jammed and he can't open them.

Mike will go by tomorrow and see if he can get them open. I know the cause is the comic book or less thickness we raised the broken girder. I'd just as soon leave it as-is until the professional engineer gives me his recommended repair, but I know that door is going to be a stone in the home owner's shoe until is open. We can't really do any serious work in the house until then. If we hang cabinets, put down floor or tile in the baths, we risk cracking it when we do the final repair.

The big problem is that everyone is being pressed by the State to give up their MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) cottages by March. I hear it from almost all our clients. I'm sure there are some who are just doing nothing but living in the cottage but many are working hard to get into homes. The State is solving a delicate problem with a sledge hammer, in my opinion.

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Gates

The gate pervades the Good News. Peter entered the temple gate after the Jesus’ arrest to deny him. Poor Lazarus lay at the rich man's gate, longing for the crumb's from the table, while dogs licked his sores. The blind, lame and paralyzed lay at the Sheep Gate at the Jerusalem temple waiting at the pool with five porticoes for healing water. Jesus warned of the easy road and wide gate to material ease and spiritual destruction and calls us to the hard road and narrow gate to the waters of life.

necessary disclaimer

This blog is created solely to communicate to my brothers and sisters how one person sees adversity bringing out the greater character of humanity. It's early part relating connection to the volunteer relief effort in Mississippi after Katrina and later work with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program and the Presbyterian Church(USA) is solely through my participation in them; this blog does not carry any sponsorship from these fine organizations or purport to speak for them. All original content is that of the writer who holds the copyright to all original writings and art or other works (See Creative Commons License above). Every effort is made to identify content from other sources which have been obtained from open internet sources. It's more recent content contains sermons and lessons used in preaching and teaching. The url to scripture are obtained via http://bible.oremus.org unless otherwise indicated.

Texts quoted from oremus bible viewer are from "New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved." and "New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."