A Coat of Paint

It was a little over two years ago when they first walked through our doors. They had heard of a youth night and thought they would take the risk of checking us out. So - backpacks on, not sure of where it would lead- they knocked on our door for the first time. 

Since that first knock, there have been tears and laughter, skinned knees and broken hearts, celebrations and dance parties and countless porch talks. I want to tell you of how they began to know Jesus, how they have become prayer warriors and servants for the Kingdom, how they have become leaders for House of Hope and the community... but I don’t know how to accurately put into words what we witnessed take place over the past two years or how much love I have for this family. Every time I try, it comes out in tears.

This family, all eight of them - mom and seven kids - have changed me. They are one of the purest forms of Jesus’ love and joy that I have seen in this life. Light simply radiates from them everywhere they go, and they have some of the kindest hearts I have ever met. 

So it only made sense when our friend Jeanette approached us with the idea of taking a leap of faith into a new ministry she felt God had put on her heart that we would direct her to Lindsey and her kids. We knew they would be a great first family because they are so full of grace and love and joy (and never have had a problem being our guinea pigs in the past). Jeanette has a passion and a gift for beautifying homes. To help turn homes into a place of refuge and joy through interior design and she needed somewhere to start. So after we introduced her to Lindsey and her family, they began dreaming. But with eight people in a single wide trailer, they had some very limited space to work with and as the dreaming started to happen we were also hit with the reality of the structural state of their trailer. A coat of paint would not fix the holes in the floor. It was all very well loved but it became obvious that in order for it to become a place of refuge and joy, it would need some work. 

That is where Faith Works came in. We reached out, giving a very understated list of needs and asked if there was anything they could do. It only took one visit for them to fall in love with this family and their story of redemption. God began working through their hands, they began to fix things- bringing life back to a structure that was falling apart. But they too were hit with the realities of what they were working with. 

One of the men who came out to look at their trailer was our friend Dan. Dan specializes in mobile home repairs and is a mobile home broker (I know - God is cool). Back in February, Dan had bought a beautiful double wide in a very nice neighboring park. Dan has bought, repaired and sold countless mobile homes in his time but this one wouldn’t sell. Since February he has asked God with every price reduction why no one was taking it. 

That is - until he met Lindsey. 

He said he was driving when God spoke to him and that it was so undoubtedly clear. The trailer wouldn’t sell because it wasn’t meant to. It was meant for Lindsey. It was meant to give a beautiful family a new start. A new hope, a fresh slate. Being the faithful man that Dan is, he and his team gifted the trailer to Lindsey. 

They move in 20 days. Faith Works is working diligently to make sure they are moving into a home free of stressors and Jeanette and her team are working hard to make the space a dream come true for this family.

And Alyssa and me? We are standing in awe of what just happened. Jaws to the floor, wide eyed in disbelief. Lindsey, because of who she is, keeps thanking us. But really, Alyssa and I did absolutely nothing. All we did was open our door two years ago when they knocked. All we did was sit on the porch with the intention of loving our neighbors. All we did was make a couple connections. God did the rest. God turned our loaf of bread into a feast. He brought a dream team of people around this family at just the right time with just the right gifts to make miracles happen. Two weeks ago we thought we would put a fresh coat of paint on their walls and God had unimaginably more in mind - because Jeanette was obedient in stepping out to find a way to use her gifts, and our friends at Faith Works were obedient in using theirs, and Dan was obedient in living with open hands.

I know with confidence that this family is going to be a blessing to their new community - they are going to change lives and legacies. I cannot talk about it without tearing up - it is a beautiful story and we want you to be part of it. There is still a lot to be done in the 20 days before move in. If you have time, talents or treasures you would like to give, we need a village to welcome them home. We need painters, cleaners, designers, and have a list of items we are in search for if there is something you have that you would like to use to bless this family with. 

-Brooke