Father Knows Best
Beth and Mike had plans to have their bathroom gutted and redone while we were on family vacation this summer. His cancer diagnosis stepped up the need for that project to be done by about six months. Sarah's husband Kourtney set aside January 25-27 to drive from Russell Springs Ky to Cincinnati do the job. They own an old house. The project was more complex than Kourt had expected and he was not able to accomplish what he set out to do.
There was a LOT of demo to do before anything could be fixed.
Kourtney worked hard taking things apart and cleaning up the big chunks Friday evening and most of Saturday. Including fixing the water leak caused by a rogue screw.
He was able to get the toilet set and the new tub set in place before he had to leave on Sunday.
Sunday night (January 27) I asked Beth if there was anything I could do. Helping her finish the bathroom and then clean up from the "redo" was what she needed. Our plan: I would drive up Wednesday morning, early, and we would pick up where Kourt left off. I asked if she was open to a retired friend coming to help on Wednesday. She agreed. Nasty weather caused me to leave home closer to noon and he had to postpone until Thursday. It's a two and a half hour drive so I knew she and I wouldn't get much done that day. But we still had Thursday after she got off work at the church and all day Friday. After I arrived I quickly realized we wouldn't be accomplishing anything of note, even if we worked for a week. The task was far beyond our skill set. We were both thankful Ron was coming the next day. We were prepared to change into our work duds and help him once we returned from her job.
Weather delayed him and things at work delayed us so we knew, even as we came into the house, after 2 that again, time was not on our side. One look at Ron let us know it was more than we even realized. Plumbing needed changed. More demo was needed so firring strips and green board could be installed...and that was just the beginning. Ron shooed us out of his way and began chipping away the ceramic tile. He was determined to get as much of the hard work done as he could before he returned to Grayson that night.
Ron finished step one and came downstairs for a cup of coffee and a few minutes of rest. Walking up and down an old fashioned steep stairway and stepping in and out of a deep tub is hard work for anyone. Doing it with a prosthetic leg only added to his challenge. He needed to sit down.
4:30 PM. A knock at the door. I knew it would be the friend Beth had told me was coming to look at solving a completely different issue. We'll call him "S". As I let him in the house he quietly told me, "They don't know it, but "J" (a general contractor) is coming by after he gets off work to look at the bathroom. We are going to get a plan to finish it." I didn't know what to say.
S went to work in the basement. J had arrived not long after. I introduced him to Ron. J went to check on the progress S was making. He was done so I took them upstairs to the bathroom and answered their questions about the priorities Beth and Mike had before his chemo started Monday. I left them to look and think. They came downstairs and talked with Ron. They didn't want to interfere with his work, but they had a plan. He told them he was happy to hand off the project to them. They live here, they had the tools readily available, the skill sets and willingness to do what Beth and I could not.
Beth's family and I left Cincy Friday night to spend the weekend with Sarah and her family in Louisville and ultimately in Newburgh Indiana with Andrew and Bre. S and J had a key and were going to work while we were gone.
We arrived home late Sunday night, tired, but filled with contentment fed by a weekend spent with family. We were also a little on edge, knowing Mike's chemo was at noon Monday, Beth had to work at the church 9-2:30, pick up kids from school and somehow we needed to finish whatever was not done and clean up the unavoidable remodel/construction dust.
Mike opened the door, I was not far behind and we both stopped abruptly mid room. We were flabbergasted. The gaping hole in the living room, the result of a misdirected screw the weekend before that had caused a water leak, was fixed. That was an unexpected, huge relief.
Tears threatened as my brain registered that not only was the ceiling repaired, but the drywall dust and construction debris had been cleaned. My original plan was to ferry stuff from the van to the door and let Mike carry it from there to where it belonged. He took his first load up upstairs. I heard a wobbly "Ohhhh, wow..."
Awe. Wonder. I knew he had looked in the bathroom. "Donnette, come, look at this." (Beth was still outside.) I changed gears and headed upstairs.
My tears increased. I couldn't talk for fear of an ugly cry. It was done. Green board and drywall not only up, but painted. New tub and shower fixtures in good working order. Shower surround up and caulked. Safety bars we hadn't thought to ask for, but talked about needing on the way home, installed. Bathroom ceiling repaired. The pedestal sink was ready to use. There was nothing that needed to be done left to do except put up the shower curtain, lay down the rug and move toiletries back in.
I went outside where Beth was still unloading the van. She asked me if I was ok. I told her "yes, you need to go look at the bathroom. Now." Chloe and I finished, then she went up to see it.
God, our loving heavenly Father knows best. Always. He knew last Sunday I needed to be with Beth and her family last week, not to finish the bathroom, but to help her stuff 1,150 year end statements into envelopes January 31 and to be here, in person, for moral support as things about Mike's cancer were unveiled. He knew Ron needed to drive a total of 5+ hours Thursday instead of Wednesday , not for the bathroom project as much as to minister to and encourage Mike while Beth and I were at church getting year end tax statements mailed out. God knew which people needed to be in small group together to build relationships- which friends needed to be involved in this project-ones who were equipped, skilled, able and/or willing to be His hands and feet.
Thank you "S" and "J" and whoever else showed up at the Maxey house one of the last two weekends to make the bathroom happen. (I believe J's wife may have been the cleaning crew).
Those of you who have sent gift cards or cash to help, thank you.
To those who have or are going to provide a meal, thank you.
Thank you for providing many of the things they need from the Amazon list.
And we are especially thank those who are praying alongside of us.
I keep thinking "this is what love looks like".
Kourtney worked hard taking things apart and cleaning up the big chunks Friday evening and most of Saturday. Including fixing the water leak caused by a rogue screw.
He was able to get the toilet set and the new tub set in place before he had to leave on Sunday.
Sunday night (January 27) I asked Beth if there was anything I could do. Helping her finish the bathroom and then clean up from the "redo" was what she needed. Our plan: I would drive up Wednesday morning, early, and we would pick up where Kourt left off. I asked if she was open to a retired friend coming to help on Wednesday. She agreed. Nasty weather caused me to leave home closer to noon and he had to postpone until Thursday. It's a two and a half hour drive so I knew she and I wouldn't get much done that day. But we still had Thursday after she got off work at the church and all day Friday. After I arrived I quickly realized we wouldn't be accomplishing anything of note, even if we worked for a week. The task was far beyond our skill set. We were both thankful Ron was coming the next day. We were prepared to change into our work duds and help him once we returned from her job.
Weather delayed him and things at work delayed us so we knew, even as we came into the house, after 2 that again, time was not on our side. One look at Ron let us know it was more than we even realized. Plumbing needed changed. More demo was needed so firring strips and green board could be installed...and that was just the beginning. Ron shooed us out of his way and began chipping away the ceramic tile. He was determined to get as much of the hard work done as he could before he returned to Grayson that night.
Ron finished step one and came downstairs for a cup of coffee and a few minutes of rest. Walking up and down an old fashioned steep stairway and stepping in and out of a deep tub is hard work for anyone. Doing it with a prosthetic leg only added to his challenge. He needed to sit down.
4:30 PM. A knock at the door. I knew it would be the friend Beth had told me was coming to look at solving a completely different issue. We'll call him "S". As I let him in the house he quietly told me, "They don't know it, but "J" (a general contractor) is coming by after he gets off work to look at the bathroom. We are going to get a plan to finish it." I didn't know what to say.
S went to work in the basement. J had arrived not long after. I introduced him to Ron. J went to check on the progress S was making. He was done so I took them upstairs to the bathroom and answered their questions about the priorities Beth and Mike had before his chemo started Monday. I left them to look and think. They came downstairs and talked with Ron. They didn't want to interfere with his work, but they had a plan. He told them he was happy to hand off the project to them. They live here, they had the tools readily available, the skill sets and willingness to do what Beth and I could not.
Beth's family and I left Cincy Friday night to spend the weekend with Sarah and her family in Louisville and ultimately in Newburgh Indiana with Andrew and Bre. S and J had a key and were going to work while we were gone.
We arrived home late Sunday night, tired, but filled with contentment fed by a weekend spent with family. We were also a little on edge, knowing Mike's chemo was at noon Monday, Beth had to work at the church 9-2:30, pick up kids from school and somehow we needed to finish whatever was not done and clean up the unavoidable remodel/construction dust.
Mike opened the door, I was not far behind and we both stopped abruptly mid room. We were flabbergasted. The gaping hole in the living room, the result of a misdirected screw the weekend before that had caused a water leak, was fixed. That was an unexpected, huge relief.
Tears threatened as my brain registered that not only was the ceiling repaired, but the drywall dust and construction debris had been cleaned. My original plan was to ferry stuff from the van to the door and let Mike carry it from there to where it belonged. He took his first load up upstairs. I heard a wobbly "Ohhhh, wow..."
Awe. Wonder. I knew he had looked in the bathroom. "Donnette, come, look at this." (Beth was still outside.) I changed gears and headed upstairs.
My tears increased. I couldn't talk for fear of an ugly cry. It was done. Green board and drywall not only up, but painted. New tub and shower fixtures in good working order. Shower surround up and caulked. Safety bars we hadn't thought to ask for, but talked about needing on the way home, installed. Bathroom ceiling repaired. The pedestal sink was ready to use. There was nothing that needed to be done left to do except put up the shower curtain, lay down the rug and move toiletries back in.
I went outside where Beth was still unloading the van. She asked me if I was ok. I told her "yes, you need to go look at the bathroom. Now." Chloe and I finished, then she went up to see it.
God, our loving heavenly Father knows best. Always. He knew last Sunday I needed to be with Beth and her family last week, not to finish the bathroom, but to help her stuff 1,150 year end statements into envelopes January 31 and to be here, in person, for moral support as things about Mike's cancer were unveiled. He knew Ron needed to drive a total of 5+ hours Thursday instead of Wednesday , not for the bathroom project as much as to minister to and encourage Mike while Beth and I were at church getting year end tax statements mailed out. God knew which people needed to be in small group together to build relationships- which friends needed to be involved in this project-ones who were equipped, skilled, able and/or willing to be His hands and feet.
Thank you "S" and "J" and whoever else showed up at the Maxey house one of the last two weekends to make the bathroom happen. (I believe J's wife may have been the cleaning crew).
Those of you who have sent gift cards or cash to help, thank you.
To those who have or are going to provide a meal, thank you.
Thank you for providing many of the things they need from the Amazon list.
And we are especially thank those who are praying alongside of us.
I keep thinking "this is what love looks like".
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