Things Beautiful
Monday, December 5, 2005, Laila and I went out to breakfast before the snow came. Afterward we drove to Mt. View Nursing Home in Madison County, VA. Mennonites own and operate the home. Rev. Eldon Hochstetler is director of the facility, and he also pastors a Mennonite congregation in the inner city of Charlottesville.
We became acquainted in the late 1990’s when Covenant Church helped to facilitate the purchase of Hope Community Center, placing the property in trust to be operated for community outreach. Rev. Hochstetler’s congregation was one of the groups already using the facility, and they still do.
Our friendship grew with visits to each other’s home, church functions, and community events. My admiration for the charitable works of these kind people also grew. When Laila’s mother became too ill for us to care of her, we asked Rev. Hochstetler about space for her in the nursing home. A private room was provided at a reduced rate until my precious mother-in-law went to be with Jesus. Well do I remember, nurses and aids gathered around her and sang precious a cappella hymns as the breath left her body, and she was gathered into new and eternal life in the arms of Jesus.
Friendship has grown with deep and lasting love. These people are part of our hearts and lives. We went to visit. Of course, there is the side issue that Lois, Eldon’s wife, traditionally gives us a wonderful tray of homemade Christmas cookies.
We knew they were in a long-anticipated building program at the nursing home. As Director Hochstetler walked us through the construction area, we rejoiced to see the excellent workmanship. Cost is about $1.3 million, which is about $1 million less than this building would normally cost.
The construction supervisor is from Pennsylvania. He drives in each week with several members of his family, and he is donating all of his expertise, labor, and contacts for cost-cutting resources. Volunteers have come from across the country to give their time and materials for the godly cause of providing a building for ministry to the elderly.
Donated rock for a wall came from Canada. The owner of Yoder’s Market volunteered to lay the rock. The Hochstetler’s teenage son Jethro did an excellent job of landscaping with shrubbery, rocks, and various materials. Superior quality molding was produced and shipped in by Christian brothers in Pennsylvania. The list of gifts and acts of kindness seems endless. Progress is so excellent that a new phase will begin as soon as the current phase is completed [expected date: March 2006].
Standing in the middle of construction, Director Hochstetler put on his pastor’s hat: “We have been thinking how we can help with Hope Foundation Community Center. Some of our men want to volunteer their help with the work. What can we do?”
It was a beautiful moment to stand in the presence of dear brothers and sisters who have such a heart for ministry. Working together, it is possible to do much more than if we work separately.
Research has sought to understand what makes people successful. Results indicate that one of the most important variables is the development of lasting healthy relationships. Those who make and keep good friends are more likely to be successful, more likely to be happy, and more likely to be healthy.
Healthy and lasting relationships have necessary ingredients: one, trust and truthfulness; two, respect; three, common interest; four, common goal; five, willingness to work through differences; six, value of person more than things.
You may add other things to this list. The real question is, “How are you doing in developing relationships that help you to do more good for more people for God?” Are your friendships healthy? Are your friends pure, inspirational, truthful, and dedicated to projects that will add beauty to other people’s lives? Is Jesus a partner?
Even as these words flow on the paper, I rejoice for Covenant Church and for the heart of a people who see the world as a harvest field. I also rejoice for the many friends who labor with us to make dreams become realities. The work is bigger than one or two people, bigger than one congregation. We have friends who attend other churches in our community. We have friends who belong to other denominations. We have friends who have not yet even accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. We have friends who live in distant places. The network of friendship includes missionaries in distant lands who testify that they regularly pray for Covenant Church and its ministry outreaches.
We cannot do all that needs to be done for Jesus without partners. We need and value friends who share with us common goals and the centrality of the message of Jesus Christ. We rejoice to labor together. We tell God about our friends. We tell others about our friends. Together we can do so much more. Together we can and will, by the grace of God, add beauty to our community and our world.
Thank you for prayerfully and willingly laboring together for Christ and His Church. Happy for beautiful friendships,
Pastor Bare
PS Covenant Church and Hope Foundation are shipping 80 gallons of high quality paint and a large generator to Liberia, Africa. Advancing Native Missions is shipping the container, also with 2 cars and other goods. Rejoice for beautiful things!