Written by Tory Shephard, Relate Contributing Writer

The blaring ring of the alarm clock ran through my ears, marking the end of my pleasant eight-hour sleep. I opened one eye, bewildered at the lack of light streaming through my windows. My head whirled around to the direction of the blaring music to see 7 a.m. displayed on my alarm. What day was it…Saturday? As my mind raced at the cause for this obnoxious wake-up, I suddenly remembered. I had signed up at my church to work with Habitat for Humanity today! I begrudgingly dragged my body out of bed and pulled on my old blue jeans and threw on a paint shirt.

As our church bus pulled up to the dilapidated residence, my heart sank at the amount of work our small team would have to accomplish to make the outside of this home look presentable. As we climbed out of the van and grabbed various painting tools, a family of four rushed out to meet us. After the husband and wife exuberantly shook our hands, I made my way over to meet their two young girls. One was my sister’s age and I immediately warmed up to her. My heart made a leap of joy at how blessed I was to be able to give these two beautiful girls a makeover on their home and at how selfish I had been in resenting my early wake-up call.

Slap, swish, flick, slop. The noise continued as I slathered the creamy mixture from a metal bucket onto the outside siding. Up and down I moved my brush, turning the vinyl siding from a steely gray into a soft coffee. I heard a sound behind me. The owner of the house uttered a sigh of content. I stopped and turned to see his face in a huge smile. Suddenly, he picked up a brush and began to steadily work beside me. Slap, swish, flick, slop. The motions of the brush occupied my thoughts until he looked at me with appreciative eyes and told me that God would bless me for my work there. He began to tell his story; about how God had brought him out of poverty as a young boy and blessed him with a beautiful family. He told me how God always provides the means and the strength. Thirty projects later, this one man’s testimony of courage and faith still resonates deep in my heart.

Matthew 7:25 says, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian housing ministry that builds houses on rock by trusting in God to provide and bring hope to those who have less. Everybody needs a place to live, and Habitat strives to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world. Habitat for Humanity gives people and families an opportunity. It is a satisfactory feeling, being a part of that. For one, I never could have imagined when I rolled out of bed seven hours earlier that a few coats of paint could bring such hope into the life of a small family!

Tags: Habitat for Humanity, Matthew 7:25, volunteer essay, volunteering, weekend volunteering