Brent is our youngest team member (still over 25) and a great guy. In real life he is in IT at Huntington University. Here’s his story of today:
Well,
today was unlike any other day in my life. Yeah, sure, you say no day is like any other in your life, but this is unusual, in that I will not soon forget this one.
Yesterday, I was asked if I’d be willing to head up a team to go to “Pete’s” and put up a wall and finish the painting job that had been started a couple of days ago.
“Sure”, I said, although more technically, I should have said “hesitantly”….I was “UNSURE” of how/what I would be doing at Pete’s and also, I was “UNSURE” of what I was going to be running into. But hey, I’ll do anything twice, why not?! 
The stories of Pete were enthusiastically twisted. People talk about Pete as if though he was a local good-’ole boy gone just a twist crazy
after the storm. Indeed, by his own admission, his thinking is not what it used to be- he didn’t mention to me specifically, but he has
mentioned to others that he may have experimented with substances that
may have caused a slight twist in the way Pete thinks.
Movies are great…they show you small glimpses of peoples lives, as
they tell a story. So much of the time, you see the overcoming of
obstacles, or as in some of the story’s- they show just the Hollywood
version of Life at it’s best…so here’s the movie….a surfer dude
with no cares in the world, goes out and surfs all day long, and scraps
by at odd jobs, doing this and that, eating what’s available, crashing
at friends houses, and living the perpetual life of ‘Carpe Diem’ which
translates to our surfer dude as “Surfs Up!”
Well, what the movies don’t show you, is what happens to the surfer dude after he grows up- scratch that- after he grows old.
Pete is our surfer dude…he still works on surf boards, painting and
constructing the perfect board, drives a blue VW bug, that has special
rims and trim. He’s fat, and can’t seem to put together a sentence
without starting over about 3 times. (I’m not trying to be
condescending, just painting a picture). So anyway, the group of people that had been going to Pete’s since Monday was eager to see what my impressions were…on the way home tonight, the first question was “So, Brent, what were your first impressions”. You see, this is a unique atmosphere. Pete ’s nest is his home, and his yard. It was appropriately described as a modern day version of “Sanford and Sons”…if you haven’t seen that show, then you just won’t understand what I mean by…always knowing that he has just the tool you need, but can’t remember which pile, of which room, of which part of the yard it might be in. The house that Pete lives in was also accurately described to me as the house the Little Rascals built. I’ve never been in a house that had so many additions built on. The ‘room with a view’ is one of the first places I went to this morning. Rumor has it, that Pete has offered volunteers to go up to the ‘room with a view’ and sit for a while, and have some pills that will help you to ‘relax’. The purpose for my visit however, was legit. I had to go get a 1×4 piece of wood for the wall project. Just strange that I would have to go to the ‘room with a view’ to get it. You see, the room with a view is 2 chairs on top of the roof of the upper addition to the house, that you have to climb a 2 story set of wooden stairs to get to a platform, and from their climb an extension ladder to get to the roof…”Don’t worry”, Pete proclaims, “the ladder is tied down, you’ll be fine”. So of course, I find exactly what I’m looking for…a 1×4 in a pile of wood on the roof. OK, if you’re not chuckling right now, then I’ve not done a good job of describing this to you….I said, I found the 1×4 in a pile ON THE ROOF.
Getting the wall built was a task that should have taken 1/2 a day…but, doing things the right way, and doing things Pete’s way are 2 divergent things. He said to some of the other workers, that “I’m a good carpenter, but I don’t know how to cheat”…cheating is his term for building it as you go without a plan. Which describes the rest of Pete’s house. Anyway, we finally came to terms- or at least, he found other things to keep himself busy…and finally, I was left alone (with Marcos’ help) to finish the wall.
Gotta go, we’re starting Devo’s….more later about the challenges
(Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually, Relationally-with-other-people,
Relationally-with-God) that I’m facing….I’m still listening to what
God would have me learn this week (if anything).
technorati tags:gulfport, perspective
Blogged with Flock
