Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Longview


We are finding ourselves right at home here in Pontotoc. Our days have been filled with everything from building stairs to laying sod and landscaping. Keith, Habitat's Project Manager, has been very patient in teaching us the many skills it takes to build a home. After a hard day's work, the gracious community fills our evenings with good company and mouth-watering meals. We've enjoyed some of the best biscuits, chicken, and deserts we've ever tasted. We're all jotting down several new recipes, but we'll be hard pressed to recreate that Southern hospitality that makes these meals so special.

Last night, Liz guided us through a reflection on "The Longview" by Archbishop Oscar Romero. In it, Romero challenges us to see our service as part of something greater, as we may never see the results of our labor. That message has peppered my thoughts today, as the house we are working on is beginning to take the shape of a home. While we may never witness first-hand how this house will enrich the family living in it, we know that our collective effort is part of something far greater than ourselves, something that will last far beyond one week in Mississippi.

-Mary Ellen M.

1 comment:

Wayne Carter said...

This week my life was particularly enriched by your presence, Mary Ellen, and that of your fellow laborers for Christ. I know that the “big picture” and how the roles of service and ministry play out in God’s grand scheme escape us. St. Paul expressed this quite well in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

I was blessed throughout the week as Barbara and I joined your group for the evening meals. Yes, the food was wonderful and the fellowship equally so. In my somewhat biased opinion, I feel you were able to experience Southern hospitality at its finest.

Thank you, my thanks to each of you, for the seeds of love you planted in my heart and the hearts of the many you came in contact with during your recent visit.

God Bless everyone.