Friday, 12 April 2019

Bonds and Ground Breaking at Beit Simcha

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In February, the banker sent an email that the underwriter is insisting that the contractor be bonded. Oy. So I went into a funk for the evening. As I tossed and turned in bed, I recall thinking as I drifted off to sleep, I should send an email reply to the banker, yes, she had mentioned this possibility - months ago! Maybe I should go ahead with a negative evaluation to her bank too? Especially the underwriter! O Lord, how much longer? How many more obstacles to break through?

Hours later, I had a dream. Ivy was calling me via video stream at a big conference. She was about to share a testimony there, but first she was showing a short video. I called Pamela over to watch. It featured pictures of our congregation, at first when Ivy was with us at Wellspring. Then it shifted to pictures of meetings at our house on Falcon Drive including Adam as a toddler. How many years ago was that? I tried to figure, but the pictures kept rolling, fast: people from every year of Beit Simcha, many children, many celebrations, many people smiling. Then there were was a shot of children holding up the letters of the word "BUILDING" in a triangle or Star of David. I murmured toward Pamela, "There's the dream!" The dream video kept rolling--so many images, all of them full of color and joy and hope. When I woke up, it was still rolling. I got the message: "Don't give up the dream!"

Many years ago, I said to the Lord, "Lord, this building project seems like a long and winding road." The Lord said to my soul: "You're looking at it as ordeal. You should look at it as an adventure." Since I was having trouble understanding what He meant by that, the Holy Spirit explained, "Adventures always involve some risk. For example, if you go white water rafting, you might hit some rocks and get dumped into the river. Risks require faith. No risk, no faith, no adventure ... Enjoy the ride!"

Lord, it's been a ride! Friends tell me, when I look back, I'll really appreciate the adventure it has been. Like the children of Israel following the cloud, it has certainly been a roundabout route! Yet I must admit, the roundabout route is interesting.

When we sent our deposit for the pre-engineered synagogue, the steel sales representative replied with a price reduction of over 0K. Construction costs don't usually go down over time ... Just last week, a Township engineer just approved an alternative stormwater system that will save us 8K - just in time to get in our plans before we record them. Then our contractor got the price reduction into his contract - just in time to get a lower price for bonding.

Who'd a thunk the last thing we have to do before we start our Exodus is go into bondage? My pastor friends have enjoyed praying for this one! Friends, keep praying for us.

The bankers assure us that once we have the bonds, they are ready to close on the construction loan. Shortly after the snow melts and the ground thaws, a logger will take a lot of trees, and an excavator will start moving dirt. Lord willing, we'll have another groundbreaking ceremony - this time with heavy machinery in the background!

Rabbi Glenn Blank