I don’t know what it is about my boys that always seems to have us crawling around under a house. Sometimes we’re trying to put in new drain lines or new wiring or new water supply lines. Other times, we’re putting in electrical. And… yeah, other times, we’re trying to repair rotted timbers or rotten construction techniques. 

When I went to Alaska in the fall of 2021, Dan and I spent 3 or 4 days crawling around under his house, carrying out rotted beams and joists, replacing those, installing rigid foam insulation around the perimeter of the foundation, and running water lines. 

When I went to Ben ‘s house in November of last year, we spent two or three days doing the same things. We had a couple of his brothers helping us a couple of days. 

Now, I’m at a house that Sam bought, working with Jeremiah to replace a bathroom floor, drain lines, and water supply lines. He’s added a new twist this time: we are installing a new main line from the meter at the street over to the house. There are few things that say, “You’re old and out of shape” quite as convincingly as a couple of hours of digging down a couple of feet deep in clay soil.

But it really doesn’t matter how sore and tired I am at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter if that day was spent bellying around in mud, twisting into awkward positions to hold a board in place, or dealing with the noxious fumes of PVC purple primer and glue. Any day spent helping and working with my kids is a good day! 

I think the Spirit we were given also takes great pleasure in his work of perfecting in us the likeness of Christ.