You can hear and see it now I bet.  Carly Simon singing “Anticipation/ Anticipa-ya-ya-tion” as a slow bottle of ketchup eventually lets loose it ingredients.  I have another kind of anticipation this morning.

TODAY.  IS.  THE.  DAY!!

TODAY. IS. THE. DAY. THEY. BEGIN. THE. PROFESSIONAL. CONSTRUCTION. OF. OUR. BUILDING.

Every day for the past three weeks I have come to the office and had to walk through the recently demolished area with only load-bearing walls remaining, dreaming and anticipating the eventual start-up date of May 21st.   The church’s website has pictures of before and after, so to get an idea take a quick gander at them.   Today though…the real work begins.  The contractor will  be here doing what he knows to do.  The man doing our electric work will be here.  The HVAC man will be checking in.  This place will be a beehive of activity over the next several weeks.  I have learned one thing over the years:

The best thing I can do is stay out of the way! 

The man doing our electrical work learned that a couple of weeks ago. Doing some preliminary work, he asked me to turn the breakers off and on.  So I did.  I turned them all off.  He didn’t want me to turn them all off.  He wanted to turn them off one at a time so he could find out what went to what.  🙂  He learned his lesson well!  So did I: STAY AWAY!!!  Seriously though, Jerry was good-natured about it.  He took the blame (I let him 🙂 ) that he didn’t explain himself very well.  But…hmmm…he never asked me to help again.  Can’t figure that one out, can you?

I am mechanically challenged. There are some things I can do, but you better explain some things really, really well if you want me to get involved and “help.”  I’m a better gopher and grunt than getting involved in anything that involves precise or life-and-death work.  As the guys were putting up the walls last week in our soon-to-be youth area, I excused myself.  My idea of construction is “that’s close enough.”

Several things stand out to me:

1.  I know my limits.  I know carpentry and any work that requires precise measurements is not my thing.  I once trimmed a house in rough-sawn cedar trim.  I loved it  because it was not a precise science.

2.  I am in awe of those who do their work well.  Watching two perfectionist work on the walls last week was a sight to behold.  And lo, and behold, those walls are fantastic!

3.  I have learned to step out of the way when I am in the way.  ‘Nuff said on that.  When will I learn that when it comes to God?  With people?  Jerry asked for help; I did not volunteer.  Big difference.

4.  I have also learned I cannot make things go faster.  It will get built when it gets built.  *Head slap* “He makes all things beautiful in His time.”   Eccl.3:11

What lessons are you learning?  What are you anticipating for your future that you have to wait on?