And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord… – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

I’m always amazed at how “one thing leads to another” in the challenging world of home ownership and home repair. It’s not that we don’t know there’s some work to be done… it’s just startling how it all runs together. 

We moved into this house knowing that a new roof was on the horizon. It turns out – just like the HVAC system earlier this year – the current roof is the original. So old roofs lead to rot, bad flashing leads to replaced facia, and compromised siding, and paint, and detail after detail. The shingles we see on the surface are undergirded with plywood, felt, drip-guards, flashing, booting, and so much more.

So we’ve been interviewing roofing companies, getting estimates, making sure our ducks are in a row, and making plans.

It always costs something to move forward:

All this constant reinvestment causes me to think about the amazing work of our church, Wake Forest Presbyterian.

It’s easy to enter the sanctuary, or the CLC on a Sunday morning, experience a community overflowing with praise, and forget that everything we’re immersed in is supported by layer after layer of professional staff, ministry teams, children’s ministry, youth ministry, discipleship, mission, an extensive campus, and so much more.

I know it’s going to take a big chunk of change to fix our roof here at home (and the related issues). Then at church it takes the hard work of literally hundreds of dedicated people, plus somewhere approaching a million dollars a year, to maintain the level of quality ministry that makes WFPC such a cutting edge presence for Jesus in this community, and in the lives of the families who attend.

At home, Rebekah and I understand that investing in our property is simply not optional; somehow we’re just going to have to make it happen.

It’s the same with our church home. Moving forward without cutting corners is exactly how God intends to continue using us. Then we also know that God didn’t say anything about easy, or cheap, or free, or effortless – just wonderful, and challenging, and transformational, and costly, and beautiful.

Wonderful, challenging, beautiful… and costly; it’s something to think about.

– DEREK