June 2010
This morning I joined several members of Mt. Zion along with several hundred York Countians to construct the Inspiring H.O.P.E. playground at Cousler Park. By now you have probably heard about the project on television or in the news. It is a barrier free playground designed to enable children who cannot walk, see, or hear a place to play. According to the project website there are 5000 children in York county with sensory, physical and mental disabilities. Through the mission distributions from the endowment fund, Mt. Zion made a contribution of $2,500 to the project and the Ridgerunner’s contributed also.
What I want to share with you however, is not “just the facts” but the experience I had this morning. No surprise, I was in the unskilled category, identified by blue name tags. We were not to handle anything electrical, except to pass it to those identified as skilled by their red name tags. After signing in, I stood with fellow blue tags (there were quite a few of us) waiting to join someone with a red name tag so we could begin doing work. I thought of how the laborers in the vineyard must have felt, standing, waiting in the marketplace for someone to select them. We did not have to wait until noon or later. It was a short time until we were assigned a platform to complete .
It did not take long to observe that everyone who was working there was a living witness to Paul’s text in Colossians 3: “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.” People who did not know one another, called one another by name. Everyone asked before they picked up a tape measure, tool or even a pencil. It was a mix of high school students and master craftsmen, men and women. Strangers worked side by side. People paused from their work and stepped aside to let you pass as you were carrying a 12 ft. board. Every request for a tool or help was accompanied with a please or thank you. There was no reproach if someone made a mistake. The skilled workers took time from their project to cut or rout a board for the unskilled. People received and offered suggestions with grace.
Sometimes, we sign up to do something like this and think, why did I do this but then we go and we are blessed. Today I was truly blessed. I left this experience feeling I had seen a glimpse of heaven on earth. This project has inspired HOPE in a multitude of ways!
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Cathy
“Clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” ~ Col. 3:14