We've started our first day of work on the Woodland family mission trip, and I have re-fallen in love with my church family. I'm roofing a church, and the pitch is pretty steep. I've only ever roofed a flatish roof before, so I resigned myself to staying on the ground, passing materials up when needed.
Not so! I was peer pressured into climbing the ladder, and throughout the rest of the day, I got more and more confident. Not like to a ridiculous degree, but enough that I could walk around on my feet instead of scooting on my butt.
But I love my church, because even though I ended up sitting on the peak of the roof, holding everything that people didn't want to fall and then handing it off--a pretty trivial job by all accounts--people thanked me like I was useful, and treated me like part of the team. They would even encourage me to do real jobs, like snap chalk lines or cut the insulation to fit.
I think other groups of professionals would do the job themselves and get fed up with the unskilled people on their team. Not Woodlanders. The love between my spiritual family is something real, and something I am proud to be a part of.
This was all revealed to me in a case of the opposite. A kid from the local church was helping us roof, and he asked me to pass it him via Jake. I did, and then the kid said. "Leave it to the men."
Not a good button to push with me. I immediately replied, "Hey! I'm incompetent because I'm incompetent, not because I'm a woman."
Jake laughed at me, but that was okay, because I knew he valued me for what I was doing, and he would help me if I wanted to try something new. And then Ashley stepped up and starting hammering and running all over the roof. And then Troy walked on the edge-side of the roof as I learned to walk to the dropoff. And then Steve taught me less terrifying ways to climb onto a ladder without any condescension in his voice. And then Bruce told me to organize the tool pickup.
I love our team, and I love our church, and I love going on mission trips with these people.
Oooooohhhh...I would've wiped the roof with that kid! With all humility, of course, and no pride whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Hannah and Dusty went on a date the other night. She wore her Senegal outfit. I'll have to get pictures on fb soon.
agreed. very much so. i really dislike it when i get treated differently by some people because i'm a girl, and a small one at that. that doesn't mean i can't do things.
ReplyDeletebut our church family is awesome. where else would i have learned to roof and not be afraid without people treating me like i'm an idiot? probably nowhere. :)
so, again, agreed.
emily
God's love though Woodland is unique in our world. Not seen in so many church settings, this is a true love as God planned. AND I am so glad the comment about "leaving it to the men" was not made in front of my daughter. I've seen that before and it is not a pretty sight. Thanks for writing, Tricia.
ReplyDeleteBill
A much more subdued young man on Tuesday. Maybe his legs were hurting too. More quiet, maybe more knowledgable about what the "girls can do."
ReplyDeleteBill