Handiwork
I’d never prayed for a job—does that sound terrible?
I’d always just worked. When I left one job I was soon back at work doing something else. But I was down for two years with my back before surgery made me feel better.
So in 2014 I prayed for a job. That day in the car my dad asked me if I would be interested in working at College Church, and I said “Yeah.” “Well,” he said, “you really need to talk to Sam Billingsley, but he’s out of the country.” We pulled into a grocery store and Sam Billingsley walked out. And Sam said, “Sure, we’d love to talk with you.” That was amazing.
They call me a “Facilities Manager,” and what I do is sort of like your house times 20. There’s always something to do or fix. Also lots of chair moving. If I can’t do a job I sub it out to someone who can, like the roofers. I’ve been patching this roof since I’ve been here, but it got to where I just couldn’t keep up. Now I’m waiting on a hard rain to see what happens.
I come in at 7:00 a.m. Leave when I need to. The flexibility lets me answer calls from College Church members—about one a week. It might be tree limbs in the yard or a stopped-up toilet. I had an “emergency” call that turned out to be taking the lid off a pressure cooker, so the soup wouldn’t burn. Got a free meal out of that.
I tell members I’m honored to be called when they need something.
I’m grateful to be here because of the people. I interact with lots of them in this building. I get fussed at some because everybody’s an expert in paint color, cleaning or something. But I like that. We can be playful with it. I listen to the complaints, tease a little and then say, “Ok, I can fix that.”
Right now I’m building a fence around the new parking lot. I’d always worked construction. My dad, Don Eads, built church buildings. I worked with him from before high school, right up to the time I hurt my back. He tried to discourage me from it because he knew how hard it was. He wasn’t big on advice. He just grew up working hard. So I tried to follow his example.
Now I build things for the church. I just finished some podiums, and over the years I’ve built cabinets in many classrooms. Did the upstairs Faith and Home Center. A dressed up room has a different feel. I like to see people take pride in their stuff.
Like I said, this job is just lots of light bulbs, stains, AC leaks, stuff coming apart—not terribly interesting. But it’s the job God gave me. I think a lot about the verse “Do everything as unto the Lord.” That’s hard. But it keeps me focused on His will and the people I can help.
I’d always just worked. When I left one job I was soon back at work doing something else. But I was down for two years with my back before surgery made me feel better.
So in 2014 I prayed for a job. That day in the car my dad asked me if I would be interested in working at College Church, and I said “Yeah.” “Well,” he said, “you really need to talk to Sam Billingsley, but he’s out of the country.” We pulled into a grocery store and Sam Billingsley walked out. And Sam said, “Sure, we’d love to talk with you.” That was amazing.
They call me a “Facilities Manager,” and what I do is sort of like your house times 20. There’s always something to do or fix. Also lots of chair moving. If I can’t do a job I sub it out to someone who can, like the roofers. I’ve been patching this roof since I’ve been here, but it got to where I just couldn’t keep up. Now I’m waiting on a hard rain to see what happens.
I come in at 7:00 a.m. Leave when I need to. The flexibility lets me answer calls from College Church members—about one a week. It might be tree limbs in the yard or a stopped-up toilet. I had an “emergency” call that turned out to be taking the lid off a pressure cooker, so the soup wouldn’t burn. Got a free meal out of that.
I tell members I’m honored to be called when they need something.
I’m grateful to be here because of the people. I interact with lots of them in this building. I get fussed at some because everybody’s an expert in paint color, cleaning or something. But I like that. We can be playful with it. I listen to the complaints, tease a little and then say, “Ok, I can fix that.”
Right now I’m building a fence around the new parking lot. I’d always worked construction. My dad, Don Eads, built church buildings. I worked with him from before high school, right up to the time I hurt my back. He tried to discourage me from it because he knew how hard it was. He wasn’t big on advice. He just grew up working hard. So I tried to follow his example.
Now I build things for the church. I just finished some podiums, and over the years I’ve built cabinets in many classrooms. Did the upstairs Faith and Home Center. A dressed up room has a different feel. I like to see people take pride in their stuff.
Like I said, this job is just lots of light bulbs, stains, AC leaks, stuff coming apart—not terribly interesting. But it’s the job God gave me. I think a lot about the verse “Do everything as unto the Lord.” That’s hard. But it keeps me focused on His will and the people I can help.
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