Work Week

I hope that some time soon I will have a report to give about going out with my dad on an adventure  However, the nature of the work that we do means adventure has to take a back seat to paying the bills. There can be weeks of work followed by weeks of silence. In those quiet times I am sure we will take advantage of our time together. Last week was a work week. For that I am blessed. One of my dad's clients wanted his house painted and we were happy to oblige.

Painting a house is a ton of work. It is countless hours spent on ladders stretching muscles and redoubling my faith in my sense of balance. All the while I have my dad right beside me. We take turns holding the ladder while the other climbs up to paint. We eat lunch together and laugh about old stories. There are sometimes long stretches of time where I am by myself. That is fine with me. I have an ability to slip into "only child mode". This is a skill developed by most only children growing up to simply entertain themselves. It is useful in times of boredom. Lately my "only child mode" has manifest in listening to books on tape while I work. Last week I listened to Starship Troopers, Neverwhere, and I am half way through Shataram. This week I am grateful for the awareness of God providing for me. We have enough work. It is a good thing to feel like the next month of my life will have money coming. I am grateful for being able to have the work but also to have it with my dad. When he is not grumpy he is the best boss I could ever ask for.

I also worked on my PIF this week. Gearing up for the job hunt has helped me stay focused on the fact that this is indeed only a temporary stint here. I am also working on a translation of 1 Timothy in order to keep my Greek skills sharp. While I am trying to not get rusty I like being able to go into church on Sunday morning and sit in the back pew. It has been ages since I could walk into a church and not have someone expect me to be in charge of anything. I am jealously guarding this respite from ministry. However, I do miss preaching. It is hard for me to go listen to a sermon now without thinking about how I would have approached the text or without critiquing the pastor's form and clarity of message.

I leave you today with a picture of my hands after an honest days work.