"Mixing It Up" With Friends

11/8/07 Thursday (This is a long entry... keep reading!) I spent most of the 'work' part of my day mixing-up concrete with hand tools and carrying it by 5 gallon bucket down the steep 120' trail. Over and over again... 6 bags of sand, 100 pounds of cement, 3 bags of stone, water: turn and mix.. turn and mix. Sometimes I did this alone, sometimes with others (with others is better!) As I reflected throughout the day, it occurred to me what a great day it has been for "mixing-it-up" with others. What a blessing! Here are the highlights of mixing-it-up today:
--There were the tourists from Washington State who walked by on the path and were so impressed to see the Church of God-Anderson serving in Hong Kong.
--There was Florence and Sherry, two young Hong Kong woman who walked by on the path and stopped to visit. "Are you a Christian?", they asked. "Why do you volunteer?" They were at the Retreat House for a day of rest and Retreat and were so pleased that we were volunteering here. When they learned that I was a Pastor, they looked over at the concrete that I was mixing and said with surprise "...and YOU know a SKILL?"
--Working with the 3 men from Retreat House staff; Barry, Bond, and So. (Just think of Barry Bonds.) We've had fun working together; especially as they tease how I mix concrete!
--Bond invited me into a circle of 7 other young men as we mixed-it-up playing hackeysack during a break. Too fun!
--We went to meet a missionary from New Zealand who is here focusing efforts on supporting HK churches and ministries with construction projects. What an encouraging visit!
--Near 'quittin time' during our work day, the assistant to the General Manager walked all the way out to our work site with some coffee cake that another volunteer had 'mixed-up' just for us because of our faithful efforts. That little blessing was the single best highlight of the day.
--Our team had some good honest discussions about our expectations of the trip, our frustrations over not getting to do the project we intended, and our flexibility over the situation. I realized today that it was evidently MY attitude that was poorest; that my own expectations in leading and in providing the best experience robbed some of my joy in serving.
--We had dinner with a new friend, someone who I had heard was on an extended work project here from the States. We had a great visit about HK, ministry, family, etc. and were all encouraged from the visit. What a great day!

One thing I learned today is that all 4 elements are needed for concrete, and that people are a lot like those elements. Some of us are hard like stone, some bond people together like the cement powder, some contribute to solid foundations like the sand, and some -like the water- provide the fluidity and serve as a catalyst to "mix-it-up" so we can get along together. And, maybe, just maybe... while I think I may be like the water, I might be just a little bit like the rocks, from time to time.

PS I dedicate today's work and these thoughts to my father, Mendel Broyles who would have turned 90 years old today. Dad was a General Contractor and among other work often poured his own basements, curbs & streets, driveways & sidewalks, and foundations & floors. One of my special & funny memories of Dad is him coming home on days he poured cement; he would be wearing these huge buckled-boots that were covered in hardening cement. I used to put my little feet in them and could hardly lift them off the floor. Thanks, Dad, for pouring a solid foundation in my life. :)