He Is Fun

I rarely think about God being fun.  I easily forget about all He has done and continues to do just for our enjoyment…for fun…for joy.  And then it hits me.

Shortly before leaving for Swaziland I received an email from Children’s HopeChest asking if we would be willing to paint at Ngungwane while we were there and if so could we bring some paint trays, rollers and brushes.  We of course wanted to help in any way we could so we added paint supplies to our ever growing packing list.

I had no idea what all we would be painting.  Turns out AIM had just voted on new paint colors for the care points…something bright and easily seen so communities would know these buildings were care points…and they wanted us to paint the entire outside of the building.  When our painting day rolled around we found out Ngungwane was the first care point to be painted and I had the honor of taking the first paint stroke.  I was giddy to say the least.

I loved our team.  Each lady was all in.  Nothing was too big or too hard or just too much.  We went head strong into the painting of the building too and knocked it out in one day.  As we neared the end of having it all completed, we realized to paint the very top of the front and sides we were going to need to get on the roof.  Next thing I knew we were hoisting Brooke Carman onto the roof and then I was being hoisted next…and then I got my skirt hung on the edge of the roof and Brooke had to rescue me.  I’m happy to say we got documentation of my perplexing situation thanks to Alisha our resident photographer.  I proved to be the greatest trip leader of all time…over and over again.  What can I say?  I’m a natural.

After we army crawled across the top of the roof and then began hanging over the edges to paint my courage dropped through the roof.  This is where I will begin to blame my short stature and chest size to keep my pride in tact.  TMI?!?!?!  The team loved this little side-by-side so thoughtfully put together (humor was abounding with these ladies) of the very quick change in my enthusiasm for being on the roof.  All “hooray I’m on a roof and I love Jesus and will hang over the edge for Him”…to a very quick…”get me the heck off this roof because I’m obviously going to flip over the edge and plummet to my death.”

Needless to say Brooke Carman was a champ and I was replaced by Courtney.  I couldn’t hang…literally…so I went back down after a slightly dramatic dismount from the roof to paint with the other short folks.  Again, my leadership skills are ones to be rivaled.

I also took the award for Greatest Faces Made In All Swazi Trip Pictures awards.  It wasn’t easy people.  I worked hard at it and will probably devote an entire post just to the hilariously awful faces I made in so many pictures.  I’m literally cracking up just thinking about it.

I like to think I was channeling my inner slightly somber, yet relieved to be off the roof Liv Tyler from Lord of the Rings in this picture with Erica.

We loved the new colors and everyone else did too.

BEFORE

AFTER

Then God reminded me of how really fun He is.  The staff asked if one of us would paint the name on the care point…and big.  You guys, my heart skipped a giant beat and I immediately volunteered.  There we were in the middle of Swaziland and all I could think…is this one of the reasons why I have been practicing my hand lettering like mad…all for this moment…could God be this fun…this into the details of our lives??!  Yes.  He is fun.  He is this into the details of our lives.  He loves to show off and fill us with joy!

That night I practiced several options and even made up a little sheet of several different letterings for the staff to pick from the next day.  After they chose I set to work.  I was crazy nervous.  It was a tad stressful working on the side of a building with limited supplies, but it was awesome…maybe one of the highlights of my life…which sounds a tad crazy, but it really was.  I was even emotional and teared up several times as I was working.  Only God could have placed me in this moment…in this special community…in this special country…with these crazy special people, kids and our team.  It was an honor.

Still makes me all warm and fuzzy on this inside.  Still thrills my heart God would allow our team to be apart of this community…our brothers and sisters in Christ…across oceans.  He is so good and truly is fun!

Happy Monday.

PS:  There are still lots of kiddos at the Ngungwane carepoint who need sponsorship.  CLICK HERE and then choose “unsponsored” in the status bar.