Living in Community - 7

I made too many misakes as a father, I don’t want to blow this fresh opportnity. No, Theresa, my 65 year old wife is not pregnant. And as far as adoption goes, we’ll leave that to our daughter Kristin, who along with husband Keith are adopting 2 special needs kids from Bulgaria – a boy with downs and a girl with spina bifada

The fresh opportunity is refered to in community living as “sandwich”. Theresa and I are the bottom piece of bread in a sandwich comprised of Kris and Keith being the “business” – the meat, if you will. Their children are the top slice of bread. We moved to Kentucky at the time they moved from Texas. In that way Theresa and I can be close to one of her children (Kristin) and one of mine (R ay).

We had planned to live in our 21 foot RV on the 54 acres with space betweeen our RV and their house. We’d keep this arrangement until our house was built. That wasn’t to be. My ATV accident and subsequent lengthy hospital stay along with Theresa’s beoming terribly sick forced us to accept their invitation to stay with them in their house.

We would never have chosen this arrangement. We are typical Americans bent toward independence. We were forced into the sandwich by the accident and sickness. And WHAT A GODSEND. They gave up their spacious bedroom for our quarters. They both have been the epitome of selfless love, caring for a very sick mother and invalid dad. They are demonstrating community living Book of Acts style to the fullest. Oh, they haven’t sold all and distributed to the poor as in post-resurrection time. But their attitude is: “what’s ours is for you to enjoy,:” From Gator sports vehicle to bedroom. What a gift to Theresa and me. We are sooooo grateful.

But there are challnges jujst as there are when any two or more people connect and endevor to build relationship. For us though the challenges are quite minimal. Communication including confrontation (Galatians 6 model) has been one key. The other significant arena is putting a kabosh to selfish expecttions.

In our sandwich situation, I’m endeavoring to give more intentional time and encouragement to children and grandchildren, having learned from the first go-around where performance superceded relationship.