A portion of our ministry space was flooded a couple of Sundays ago, and it was not my finest moment in ministry. Raw, seeping sewage is not usually an ingredient for feeling fruitful and fulfilled.

I was grumbly. I was mad. I didn't want to be "the responsible one."

I didn't want to be the one with the keys to the building, the one who had to make sure that we figured out a plan for replacing the damaged floors that had to be ripped out. I didn't want to be the one with experience in laying laminate floors and organizing teams of volunteers. I argued that I had better things to be doing than measuring, cutting, fitting, and finishing the floors. I complained that there wasn't anyone else who could just take the project and run with it, while I carried on with the rest of my pastoral responsibilities. In short, I bemoaned my lot in life. I was a bitter, bitter man.

But then, thank God, I got some perspective.

Fortunately, with a bit of time and prayer, I started to see the flooring project as an opportunity to serve the church, develop other leaders in the church, and actually have some fun in the process, too! We got a great boost when Nicole and Michel took on some of the work in making plans and coordinating communication about the flooring project. Marc and Marcus helped with gathering the necessary materials. Marci and Sonja stepped in nicely, to help with the initial clean-up and floor preparation. David and Sasha knocked out the entryway in a single evening. Marijn and I got to do half of the Kids Room, and then David and Anthony finished it, while I laid the plints around the edges and Sasha put some of the furniture and plumbing implements back together.

Together, we completed the job with remarkable efficiency, and I actually found myself genuinely enjoying the process. It was fulfilling to do something very practical and tangible with other people from the church -- seeing something through from beginning, to middle, to end. It was refreshing to connect with others from the church, as we worked together and took coffee breaks together. We talked about summer vacations, relationships, careers, and faith. And in the end, we were all enriched by the experience. I hope that we don't have to do it again any time soon, but even if we do, I take comfort from the fact that I'll get to do it together with these people.