“And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”

(Luke 1:50-53 ESV)

Presently my upstairs en suite bathroom is just an empty shell with a toilet.  I have replaced the ceiling with a new one now including insulation.  I have also removed and replaced the walls and floor, which was either missing or all rotten under the shower tray from years of water leakage.  Yet I still have a long way to go! Now I am going to install lino flooring, bath, sink, radiator and tiles.  I trust that God is for me in this enterprise. At my age He truly gives me the ability and tenacity to do it.

Given that for me this was a God-given chore, I was not surprised to have some opposition to the task when my back complained.  I should be more careful as an older man who should know when to stop and rest!

After seeking prayer from the Bible study group on Saturday I was able to get back to work on Monday.  Praise God for His healing mercy and grace for my hubris!

In this instance my service to God in DIY is for my wife.  It is God’s provision for me to do this, something He confirmed to me in an unusual rainbow revealed this week.  It provoked a memory of a poster from the 1980’s that said: “God keeps His promises”: which He does!

By Grace and a lifetime of purchases, I have acquired tools, gifts and experience to be God’s hands in this endeavour. (Now editing a month later I can say it is done!)

Jesus was a carpenter whilst here on earth and I sense I get a little prompting from Him to guide my thoughts!  He truly guides my hand: buying tools; knowing where to shop and how to project manage as well as being healed physically to encourage me. 
 However, one day, as I filled a rubbish bag of my work’s efforts I was aware of His reminder.  Just like all the rotten and useless materials I put into these rubbish bags, so over the years Jesus has removed and continues to remove the rotten stuff that has happened over the years as life leaks in unseen. 

As we live in obedience to our individual calling Jesus cleans up, gives us strength enough for the day and encourages not to be overwhelmed by the task.  Like Mary we have to trust our help comes from God.

Prayer:  Lord, we give You thanks for Your faithfulness in and through us to perform Your purposes. It may be a hard task to persevere but You are always alongside us in what we do. Thank You for including us in the Work, empowering us to serve in Jesus’ name Amen.

Roderick Marshall