The Prayers I've Stopped Praying

The brick gable on the house as it stood for several weeks.

Have you ever wondered about how many catastrophes have almost happened to you? It is not a question I ponder often, nor do I think it would be healthy to spend my life dwelling on. But sometimes we have near misses and it reminds us of the great God we serve.

When I first arrived at Kibidula I often felt the need to pray for the safety of my workers. I didn’t know them and their abilities and there is often a certain inherit risk with construction and I keenly felt the need to pray for safety on the job site. However, as I have been here a few months and became more comfortable with my workers, saw their general concern for safety, sometimes almost to a fault (I think half of my guys are afraid to climb on a roof), I became more comfortable and to be honest the prayer slipped out of my routine. I certainly continue to work for safe conditions, better safety equipment and training of my workers. But somehow I lost the feeling I needed to keep praying for my workers safety.

What was left after the wind storm.

Over a month ago we built a large brick gable on one of the houses in preparation for the roof structure. It was fairly stable and would be tied to the roof when completed and have all the strength necessary. Due to some delays in building the trusses it remained unsupported longer than I had thought it would, but we didn’t think much about it. However, one day we had a huge wind storm with very high winds coming across the open land in front of the house where my workers were building the trusses. And when an unusually high gust hit the house that huge piece of brick and cement came crashing down, falling away from my workers. Nobody was on that side of the wall, and even more amazingly, the generator they were using was right where a window in the gable was and the bricks came crashing down all around it without damage. The only thing damaged was a chalk line.

I am extremely grateful for the safety of each of my workers and the miracle that it came down when everyone and everything was in a place where no harm would come. And I am even more grateful that we serve a God who cares for us despite the fact that we sometimes don't ask for His protection. It is reminders like this that make me so feel so blessed to be working for a living God. I am humbled by his provision, and also left with a renewed desire to seek Him in each aspect of the work we do.

The house with trusses going on.