So make yourself an ark

Two years ago today, we purchased the home where we live.  Not long before that day I would have questioned whether we would ever again own a home.  Fortunately, through the kindness and efforts of many, we are comfortably settled in our, new to us, home.  

As much as we are settled, for the past two years there has been a corner of our garage that I have ignored, stepped around, and tried to divert the attention of visitors from seeing.  It was a repository of boxes and stuff, all my stuff, in a disorganized heap.  It was some odd tools and lots of various containers of fasteners and hardware bits and pieces; it was where things went because you never knew when you might need it (including things from our first home 33 years ago).  

Other than frustrating Diane when ever she had to walk around it, if the pile remained untouched it would not have changed the world.  I am pleased to say that the pile of stuff no longer exists, it is now, for the first time in two years, a functional and clean part of our garage.  

This all occurred because I have a dream.

You see, I come from a long line of boat builders.  My father built boats.  His father built boats.  My uncles built boats.  The problem is that I have never built a boat.  I have actually worked for four different boat companies but that was all fiberglass manufacturing and scores of workers; I have never built a boat and I have a dream to one day build a boat.  

So by cleaning that corner of the garage I am taking steps towards building my boat.  Seems odd, but yet it is a positive steps towards my dream, consider this: 

1. order containers for small parts and fasteners
2. sort through boxes of small parts and fasteners
3. clean corner of the garage and store small parts and fasteners that are actually useful
4. create room for special tools needed for wood working
5. remind Diane that I cleaned the corner of the garage so that I can buy wood working tools
6. acquire tools and store in the clean corner of the garage
7. learn to use the tools properly
8. acquire lumber
9. start building my boat
10. build my boat

There we are, 10 steps away from building my boat and I have already accomplished the first 4 steps.  There is no timeline for each step, only a dream.  But that is what is important.  

I have a dream that a tomorrow will come when I can take the next steps.  

I have a dream that I will build my boat, and I am already thinking about the second one.  And this is all possible because I believe that God turns the darkness into light.  

I know that today, and its darkness, is not permanent.  I know that God will change the darkness into light and all of our dreams will be possible.  With God there is always hope, there is always dreams, there is always light.

And for the record, my boat will be about 7.5 cubits long.

God be with you until we meet again.  

Fr Henry+