June 14, 2017 Farmville Enterprise
Years ago some citizens in Farmville decided they wanted to do something to help low to moderate income residents be able to buy affordable homes. Grants were sought and the Farmville Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit organization, was created. The Town of Farmville provided and continues to provide crucial support in this charitable effort which benefits individuals, families and our entire community. The program has produced at least 24 new homes for the income eligible and currently has four lovely houses in a nice wooded neighborhood near the end of South Pitt Street available for purchase. It reminds me a bit of the affordable home initiative in Bailey Park from the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
A few days after cleaning two of the houses with some wonderful volunteers last week I needed a house key for the appraiser to do a walk-through. For some reason, we had three keys each for two of the houses but then single keys for the other two homes. Sunday night, for the life of me, I could not find one of the single keys. I looked through bags and buckets of cleaning supplies plus in our “key” drawer. On Monday I retraced my steps through the yards, went back into the other houses and even went through all of the bags of trash-all to no avail. For 24 hours I experienced such angst over this lost key. Having new locks installed would have been such a waste of money and we try to be as cost-conscious as possible. Right before bed on Monday night I went over in my head what I had done when I came home from the day of cleaning. It crossed my mind that maybe I accidentally put the key in the drawer next to the key drawer. Right away I went downstairs, and sure enough, the key was in the wrong drawer. I can’t tell you what a weight was lifted off me. That lost key had been gnawing on me for over 24 hours. For days after finding it my spirit was lifted tremendously as I kept thinking how thankful I was for the found key. I truly was rejoicing for days over a $2. item. It reminded me of this parable that Jesus told.
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10)
This woman’s coin was extremely valuable to her. Even more than she rejoiced at finding her lost coin or I rejoiced at finding the lost key, God rejoices over one person who comes to faith. Made in God’s likeness, every human being is invaluable to God. His ultimate desire is for the lost to be found.
celiastone 