well the cat's finally out of the bag, and i'm so glad that i can finally freely talk about a thing that has been a huge part of my life for the past few months! i've been dying to blog on this one for awhile!
every year chi alpha students do an extreme home makeover during spring break for someone deserving...this year they had decided they wanted to do it for the widow of a minister, and my mother was that recipient!
my parents actually used to be chi alpha ministers at one point themselves, so the choice was pretty clear i think of who it should be for this year.
my parents had bought a fixer upper a few years back out in the country...a place my dad just instantly loved...and a place my mom has really grown to love as well.
but there was a lot of work to do...more than just one man could take on really...i definitely know that now... so when my dad passed away, many projects had begun, but were left unfinished.
so for months we've been secretly working with contractors and different folks to get this thing together...and all of this was a total surprise to my mom!
my grandpa and aunt went away for a few days with my mom, and as soon as she pulled out, we were there with construction crews and ready to go!
more than 115 students volunteered their time, as well as 6 contractors, churches, my dad's team of employees at SAGU IT, and many more. Thousands of dollars worth of supplies were miraculously donated. It was amazing to see God bring about one surprise after another.
the result is phenomenal.
i really felt like this would be a huge blessing for my mom... although at moments i did have my doubts. was it too soon to try something like this? doing this amazing thing for my mom also meant changing things from the way my dad had left them...it's hard to gauge where anyone is in grief...even yourself.
most of my major doubts hit me midway through...when everything was demolished and it was too late to turn back thankfully! haha.
the result is not only a beautiful place now that was my parent's dream together...but also i feel like it's going to help along the healing...for my mom...and also for the rest of us.
one of the most difficult things for me during the home makeover is when we found some cans of paint that my parents had picked out together. i knew that this summer they had bought all the paints and wall papers that they wanted to do the house in...but when i picked up the cans of paint i saw that they were mixed the day before my dad passed away. it was one of the last things he was wanting to do.
so now i think when us and my mom see the house, we're not seeing the projects that my dad was only half way able to finish haunting us... instead we see his dreams accomplished.
it feels like moving forward...but moving forward with him somehow. i know this would have made him so happy...and i think it probably is.
follow the link for pictures and video! yes! even the local news got wind of this project!
ps- a few little things are still being finished...but we'll get there! and my mom is thrilled!
Comments (2)
that's incredible! What a blessing to your family. I bet your dad loves it too! I love how the body of Christ works together.
What a blessing! Yay for Texas!