steps

I started a new project this week. We are replacing the carpet in our hall and my office. That also includes an area in our bedroom by the master bath. 

Our master bath is sunken from the bedroom. There are 3 steps down.

I purchased oak flooring for the floor but did not want to have 2 inch strips of flooring on the stairs.

I went to the local lumber yard and bought oak boards. Then I cut and routed them to fit where I wanted them to go. It was a very slow process of measuring 3 times before cutting once. Tolerances may be about 1/4 inch in a rental house but they are about zero in my house.

I put 3 coats of polyurethane on the boards and then installed them. 

After the steps were in I could begin to lay down the floor in the bedroom entrance. 

Once the bedroom part was finished, it was time to move on to the hall. But to lay the hall floor straight through the doorway and into the office meant my desk needed to be taken apart and moved.

And not just the desk but all the bookshelves as well. I have half of the office emptied into other rooms of the house. The other half I am hoping I can move inside the office once half of the floor is in. Just do it in steps, so to speak.

On Wednesday I was able to get a bit of a start. At least the first rows are in and now I can speed up across the hall and the office. Thursday morning we left on a get away to North East Iowa with our sons.

Joshua our oldest is married to Casey. They are on the right. In the middle is Micah with Lindsey his girlfriend. On the left is Matthew with Meagan. Matthew and Meagan are getting Married March 30 next year.

We rented a house to stay in.

Maybe for the first time I could say my boys are grown up.

They might have thought they were grown up for years now, but that doesn't mean their dad has always seen it that way.

I have seen them take a lot of steps in their lives, but now I realize that they are all moving on and in relationships that are, to them perhaps more important than the relationship with their parents.

That is a good thing. They are adults. Forming their own families. They are taking steps and maturing in ways that I can be proud of.

They are adding people to our family.

Micah and I went for a walk along the top of that cliff for a bit.

Then we went down the stairs to the valley below. If we had gone the other way I would have a great picture of climbing steps to go with this post. I have a picture of descending steps. I see that happen in too many lives around me. Instead of life getting better it gets worse as people take steps that lead down instead of up.

This evening I stopped to talk to Steve again. I was going to ask him to come to church with me tomorrow. I had the conversation all planned out. Steve came out of the house and I was ready. Steve is always up for some conversation, but not tonight. He said " I am really tired it's time for me to go to bed." He turned around and walked back into the house. I was left standing there wanting to say, "no wait, I want you to come to church with me, we are serving a meal." But he was gone inside and I was left outside alone. 

I drove back home almost wanting to cry. I want Steve to have the joy of assurance of salvation. But then I told myself life is a series of steps. Tonight is not the last time I will talk to Steve. I will talk to him next week. I will talk to him next month. The Devil may have won tonight, but God will have the final say. As long as God leaves Steve in my life I will keep trying. It may be a series of steps. When climbing a stairway, you don't quit after the first riser. You keep taking steps till you reach the top. 

The fact is the destination is not up to me. My job is just to keep climbing the steps God puts in front of me. God has the end planned out and in sight, when all I can see in front of me is more steps.

So lets keep climbing.