The Spirit of Fred

Ok, so I painted the shed we have out back, and if you know how un-handy this LaSuer is, you know that's a pretty big deal. Ever since we moved here about a year ago, I've had my eye on that shed. We have a nice back yard, but that shed sits in a prominent place and needed painted bad. So I watched and pondered and finally began this summer. I basically finished tonight, and it looks sweet! I put on three different colors...most of it is a nice green, the trim is a soft tan, and then I painted one board on the outside of the door a dark brown.

But I enjoyed doing this so much. I think it's basically because my trade is in ideas and relationships. And whereas I enjoy that reality, it was good to use my hands and different skills to do this project. Maybe we all need to keep trying things that are outside our usual way of being. Just like my wife Joy Ellen. She is considering going back to school to get another Masters degree and to do that she has to take the GRE. So here she is studying math problems of all things. But that too is a good thing.

Yet I think the most cool thing about it all is something that happened that was very unexpected and quite mysterious. My grandfather, my dad's dad, was a man by the name of Fred. I never met him because he took his life before I was born...most likely because of the depression days. But my dad has told me so much about him that I feel like I know him, and I especially feel like his fiery independence and belief in and respect for the common man have somehow influenced my life. But here's the thing. Fred was a painter. That's how he made his living. And while I painted this shed, I began to feel a closeness to my grandpa...like he was there with me. Wow. And I talked to him a little bit. And I felt him helping me out. I truly believe that the spirit of Fred was with me as I painted. Perhaps he's been with me before. The letter of Hebrews says something about being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses so that we can run the race before us...painting sheds, living life, and furthering the kingdom.