Write Them On the Doorframes

Day #6

I realized as I went through the pictures on my phone that I have 3 zillion pictures of demolition day at Carisa's old house.

Back in May.

3 zillion.

Here I am talking about taking down the playground and I have failed to mention the taking down of Carisa's entire house.

Well, her old house.

That she hasn't lived in, in like 3 years.

Let me back up.

Have I ever told you that Carisa and her husband own a Mexican restaurant?

Cuco's--best. food. ever.

Their pico de gallo doesn't even need a chip. 

Just a fork

or a spoon 

or a moment of privacy so you can just chug it 

directly from its container.

Carisa is from Kentucky.

Yes, where riding fish is a state hobby.

Juan is from Mexico.

A.K.A Sweetcheeks

They need their own TV show. A modern day "I Love Lucy".

Of course I would be a side character--Ethel to Carisa's Lucy.

Wait--what does this have to do with them tearing down their house?

Well…

When they bought their cute little house

with no basement,

no garage

and just one bathroom,

it was a HUGE blessing.

Starting a restaurant is tough.

As the Lord blessed them with faithful employees and customers,

they were able to eventually think about 

getting a house with a bit more living space.

They found one closer to me--yeah!

But they could never sell their other house with the neighbors they adored.

But God was faithful to send them 
consistent renters for 3 solid years.

They decided to build a new house on that very same lot and return to their awesome neighborhood.

 I will just get mad all over again if I get into the details of what the city made them go through next.

BUT, in anticipation of demolition day, 

they donated 

windows, 

cabinets

and all kinds of things off of their house 

to Habitat for Humanity.

Then the house

JUST SAT THERE, 

stuck in virtual red tape for almost a year.

Weeds started growing in the middle of their living room carpet.

They found part of their living room 
panelled wall in their fireplace burned.

It became known as the Crack House or the Crack Shack.

It was an eyesore.

This sweet house that was such a joy 

and blessing to Juan and Carisa.

The city zoning board took its sweet argumentative time on giving their blessing to their new building plans.

Anyhoo…

demolition day finally did happen.

The girls and I went after school to watch.

As did many neighbors.

It was odd to see how easily a house could be ripped into and just pushed down.

So. much. dust.

Carisa and Juan needed a moment to themselves.

It was the first house they actually owned. 

Where they felt they became closer as a family.

Where they dedicated their life to following Christ.

But in the end it is just splintered wood, 

fractured glass,

bent metal

and dust,

isn't it?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21

No kidding.

As the demolition finished, new plans were agreed to and holes dug and boards went up for the new house.

One day recently, I received a text from Carisa about my favorite scripture from the bible.

Always hard to pick just one--because mine are always changing.

I settled on one and sent her the address. She complained it was sooooo long.

What?!

The next day she took me by the new house and I saw why.

She decided before the insulation went in and the dry wall up,

to write scriptures all over the framing of the house.

So cool. 

Her house is literally COVERED in God's word!

Then I saw what she meant about my verse, Hebrews 12:1-2.

I bet she got a cramp!

My verse will forever be in her kitchen.

Right where I want to be near Carisa's 

banana bread and caramel corn.

I love that she underlined Jesus.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

Luke 6:45

This is Sumita's verse on the stairway to the basement.

I love the difference in pens. I can just hear her
shout the parts in bold. But the "my" would come out "mah".

This is written above their fireplace in the living room:

Hey--doesn't this sound familiar?

There's that underlining again. I think
she was doing some preaching as
she wrote.

She had to stand on Juan's back to write some of them.

This is in what will become their bedroom.

Again--TV show. 

I would've tuned in for her trying to balance on Juan's back.

The theme song should be part Bluegrass and part Mariachi band. 

Amen and Amen!

As we were walking through the house,

we found a bit of graffiti on a pole in their basement.

We figured that this was written by someone other than Matt Conner.

Weird thinking anyone can walk into your unfinished house.

But whoever it was had to pass by a lot of scriptures
 to get to the basement to write this name on this pole.

With just one daughter still at home in her senior year of high school, 

this will be Juan and Carisa's empty nest house.

Their growing old together house.

Their hosting wedding showers and baby showers house.

Their "we'll watch the grandkids" house.

So nice to know that it will all be covered in the word of God.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

I can underline too.