Psalm 127:1 - Work and home

11Oct09 @ 01:38 & 06:04

Unless the Lord builds the house the work of the builders is useless. Psalm 127:1

Proverbs 24:27 instructs me to take care of the outside work before developing the inside of my home. That cuts both ways.

When I was in the Peace Corps, my first month and country was spent in the care of an establishment of my home in the village. I painted and swept and cleaned and repaired more than I worked in the clinic.

Perhaps my outside work was ending Peace Corps Cote d'Ivoire paperwork and requirements. My inside work could then begin. I found it's also not a question of which comes first only. It's also wrapped into taking a fresh inventory of where I am in life.

Doing my first month in the village, two very beautiful women offered to welcome me to the Village. One came with a basket of food and a scarf full of tempting goodness. The other was blonde and thick. I was polite to both but declined their invitations. Fleeing temptation is also outside work. Because I didn't start my service busting nuts in strange places (see Proverbs 6:16)  I was able to eventually developed my home with Naudia and the children. No doubt the Lord has built our house.

The link between work in the field and home is highlighted in Proverbs 24:27. Scripture continues to point to the intimate relationship between work and home. The homes promised to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 11 I tied to cisterns, Vineyards and olive trees that require maintenance and work. The outside work in the home were tied together in the same verse. In Deuteronomy the Lord was responsible for the building of the houses. Israel found them already standing. Intuitively they may have wanted to build their own homes but building would have been in vain. I have outside work to do.

A part of my outside work is embedded in those two houses in Detroit. I need to divest myself of both of them as soon as possible. One tenant is very interested in the Obama first time home buyer tax rebate of $8,000. The deadline is November...tenant wants to do it and we want to do it too. Another tenant doesn't seem to be fitting in on the block. Police at the house, complaints from neighbors, gunshots, night traffic and missed deadlines persuade me to start looking elsewhere.  I have to work to find out how to legally get her out. Disappointing.