The House That Faith Built: Working Together

(This is the sixth and final post in a series titled “The House That Faith Built”. You can read the first post here, the second post here, the third post here, the fourth post here, and the fifth post here.)

It was over two years ago my husband and I set out on this journey, yet the ending is actually years in the making. The path we took to get here was unconventional for sure – but it was also the result of decisions and lessons from our past. Five years ago we would have walked away without ever considering this house. Ten years ago we weren’t even living in this area.

It would not be possible had we purchased a different home in the past. And without going through many of the trials of our lives, we would not have been willing to listen to the prompting of God. We would not have been willing to see just what faith can do.

Working Together

During the eight weeks my husband was laid off he focused solely on the house. First, he focused on cleaning up the property. With construction in full swing, there was a lot of material that needed to go to the dump. For days he hauled truckload after truckload. Some loads we easy with everything bagged up and ready to go. Many more, however, were not.

One of the things we had to decide early on in the project was how much of the 2,800 square feet of the building we wanted to keep as our home. After a lot of research and discussion, we decided to detach a portion of the addition to turn into a shed. Another portion was torn down and discarded. And yet another portion was torn down and rebuilt.

All of this demo, however, lead to a lot of stuff. Old boards, wires, and insulation – much of which needed to be carted away.

We did manage to save some of the old barn boards though, but that is a project for another day. Something for the future.

Following the removal of all of the debris we didn’t need hanging around, he was free to turn his attention to other projects. He worked tirelessly alongside the contractor and on his own projects. As the time passed, and things moved forward, we found the project taking on new hope.

One of the most dramatic transformations was the hanging of sheetrock. For over a year we saw this house as little more than debris, mess, and wood. Exposed beams covered all of the house at one point. Then one day, the house was covered in white. No, we didn’t get a snowstorm. And no one came in with a cloud machine. It was sheetrock, as far as the eye could see. This was a definite sign of the progress, as hanging sheetrock signified the completion of insulation, electric, plumbing, and heating.

It was now time to take the house and make it a home.

A Return To Work

The layoff ended shortly after most of the sheetrock was prepped and ready for painting. No longer did my husband have all day to devote to the house, so our time available decreased a lot. However, our commitment did not.

Painting the interior of the house was one of the items we chose to do ourselves. While painting itself it not altogether that challenging, it is a little mundane. And while one room may not seem like much, a whole house is a huge undertaking. Especially, when you have zero experience with interior painting.

Yet he went back to work and we began plugging along. Painting in the evenings and on the weekends, we painted as well as we could. The addition of paint really allowed the house to come alive. Individual rooms started taking on their own character as the color went up. What was once old and dilapidated started taking on a look of not just new, but warm and inviting.

Selecting colors, however, was agonizing. With hundreds if not thousands of options in each color, the pressure was on to find just the right color. Amazingly, all of the color choices worked. The feel of the home was exactly what I was looking for. We even allowed the kids picked their own bedroom colors. This was a little more stressful, as kids don’t always choose a color based on anything other than it being their favorite. Yet, when it was all said and done, the colors worked and showed their personalities perfectly.

Finishing Touches

It’s funny how finishing one project just opens you up to several more. With painting completed it was now time for flooring and trim, light fixtures, and outlet covers. It was as if the list of things to do was never going to be finished. The excitement of finishing one project was quickly overshadowed by the need to start another.

The biggest question burning in everyone’s mind at this point was when. When was it going to be done? When should I start really packing up our current home? When were we finally going to be in the house?

The truth was, we weren’t sure. We were simply working as quickly as we could, working as many projects as fast as possible. The reality though, was that there were only so many hours in a day and only so much work could be completed at one time. At this point, it felt very akin to running in slow motion. Every day was a whirlwind of both activity and decision, yet it felt like we were going nowhere fast. Progress was happening, but impatience was setting in as the time went on and as the to-do list kept growing.

Ready or Not, Here We Come

I cannot remember the day, really. Just another evening painting at the house, another evening that seemed like all the others. But this evening we decided it was time. The list of things to be finished was still long, but the house was liveable. Bedrooms were ready, the kitchen was done, bathrooms were completed. The once run-down, neglected, and ragged house had been transformed into a home. A place for a family to live and grow, dream and move forward.

That evening we decided to stop focusing on all the finishing tasks and transition into all the moving tasks. The finishing tasks could be completed while we lived there, no different than a current homeowner working on an improvement project. All the remaining tasks did not prevent us from living in the home. Our home.

Finishing up the packing and moving the seven of us was not an easy task. I was convinced that there wasn’t going to be enough boxes in all of the state. And even though we had been packing for the previous month, we were nowhere near ready.

The first official box was ceremoniously brought in by our youngest child. The only child who will probably not remember living anywhere else. Who will probably not remember any of the craziness that was getting our family to this home. For her, this will be the only home she remembers living in.

The rest of the boxes and all of the other items were moved in over the course of a few days. While my husband was at work the kids and I brought over what we could, and in the evening others would come and help. One night, we moved boxes in the rain. And one afternoon, the wind made moving larger items challenging. Slowly though the contents and items moved from one house to another. After several days of moving the majority of the items were moved and we spent our first night in the new house.

The Family That Works Together

This entire project was truly a family affair. Every step of the way our family was participating. From planning and demo, to dump runs and interior work. From painting and flooring, to packing and moving. Every member of our family stepped up and helped out.

There is so much more I could have written. Probably a short novel worth of material. From the times my kids climbed ladders to paint eves, to the time my husband and I sat on the edge of a tub at the hardware store. I could have told you about the 1,800 linear feet of pine trim and the clawfoot bathtub we purchased before we even owned the house. Or the home we looked at that is just across the street.

The endless hours my husband spent working on the house by himself, with the kids, and with friends who offered to help. The hours we spent working together on the house while the kids were at home. My older kids stepping up and helping out with everything from watching the younger ones to taking on new chores. The two month long Spring break we took from our school books, while we instead focused on life lessons such as teamwork, flooring, and budgeting.

The countless family members, church members, and friends who helped. The friend who came over at 10 o’clock at night to help move a single unit bathtub up to the second floor. And the broken door that resulted from moving the tub in. The members of our youth group who came over to help with everything from start to finish. And the family who assisted in painting, flooring, and moving.

The dance my daughter and her friend made up in the backyard one day while painting (and yes, I recorded that!).

The first dinner my husband and I ate here. Take out, on upside down 5-gallon buckets in the living room while snow fell softly outside.

The flooring that was purchased for us as a housewarming present.

The pine doors our contractor donated to us.

The countless notes and smiley faces that are written on the walls, behind the paint and sheetrock, by the multitude of people who worked and supported this project.

The hundreds, if not thousands of pictures we have from this journey.

The hand crafted wooden cross our brother-in-law made for us.

The hope that I saw and excitement I felt with every passing day. The progress may have felt pain-stakingly slow at times, yet each day progress could be seen and with that progress came hope. Hope that my family would one day live here. Hope that our dreams were finally coming true.

And of course, the many times God directed us and allowed us to get what we needed when we needed it.

The House That Faith Built

Technically, we didn’t build a house. The house itself was here. It needed updates and insulation, plumbing and heating, walls and roofing, and everything in between. The house that we were given was not liveable and filled with despair and destruction.

What we did build over the last two and half years though was faith, memories, friendships, and strength. We built a home for our family with the help of those around us. With guidance, research, planning, and advice we transformed this building into something more.

I have no idea what this house used to be, or what it will become in the future. My hope, though, is that this house will be more than just a home. That it will become a place of refuge for our family and those who enter in. That it will be a sanctuary and a place of rest. A place where our family can continue to grow.

More importantly, though, I want this home to be the house that builds faith. This home was built on faith after all. My hope is that through this story, and whatever the future holds for my family, that faith will continue to grow here. That we will remain trusting in God and His faithfulness, always allowing Him to direct our paths (Prov 3:5-6).