Sometime during the fall season I felt as if God was instructing me to say “yes” to every opportunity that presented itself. I personally thought that was a dangerous command to give but assumed God knew what He was doing. Of course I kept my mouth shut and didn’t advertize this message to anyone hoping my plate didn’t get too overloaded.
When my friend Coriena found out her teenage daughter America was pregnant I said “yes”. It’s not that they asked me to do anything, but rather that the ideas for re-doing her 8 foot by 8 foot room just came flowing into my mind in a rush. America AND her baby were going to have to fit into this tiny space.
As Coriena and I were standing in the doorway I took it all in. The walls were a dark paneling that seemed to close in and swallow up its contents. There were two holes in the floor of the closet and clothes were either stuffed into a chest or stacked in random piles on the floor. There was no furniture in the room other than the built-in dresser drawers to one side of the closet. There wasn’t even a bed. America was currently sleeping in the small trailer’s living room.
As we stood there gazing at this dark hole of a room I pictured it with a custom made storage bed, a built-in crib in the closet with drawers underneath and a peaceful light color on the walls with a melody of accenting shades. I knew it’d be a lot of work and that I didn’t have the experience or skills to do it but I said, “God, if you want me to do this project you will just have to give me the resources and know-how to do it.”
I started out by drilling America and taking her through pictures of various bedrooms online to get an idea of her taste. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to everything she requested a hundred percent in order to make it all work but at least it’d give me a place to start. She had requested burgundy walls with black trim and furniture. I took the artistic license to veto that color scheme and instead made the walls cream with burgundy, green, tan and yellow accents in other parts of the design. My goal was to create a peaceful environment where both baby and momma would be comfortable. It had to be economical but sturdy, practical but pretty.
I had hoped to get as many used things donated as possible but working in a small space that required custom made furniture didn’t lend itself well to using scraps. I did try to plan everything in detail from the start and prayed for God to design the room just how He’d like it. My plans, as always, did not turn out exactly as I’d pictured but each step of the way the process went smoothly and my questions and/or challenges were resolved quickly and painlessly.
The amazing part of all of this was seeing how God brought together so many people to complete it! I received monetary donations from several individuals and The Life Center, my church in Greencastle, PA, covered the remaining expenses. My dentist, a generous man with a heart for missions, took me to Lowe’s and bought many of the larger supplies that were needed. Others donated paint, pillows, blankets, an old dresser with a beautiful mirror that I used, a mattress, fabric, a high chair and time. A small group of people came in on a Friday night to prime the walls and another small group came the following morning to paint them and build boxes that would serve as drawers. Several people donated their skills to make a scrapbook, knit a stuffed turtle, cover a baby mattress and make a baby blanket out of used sweaters.
I collected photos of all the people that were involved in some way so America could see just how many people were involved in her room transformation. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy by the outcome and shocked that so many people who had never met her would be willing to help.
This project is probably the biggest one that I have ever taken on in my life thus far. However, it went more smoothly than I ever imagined and God was completely evident throughout it. At times I had to stop and pray when I thought I didn’t have enough fabric to complete part of it, or I didn’t have the right tool for a particular part of the assignment. I’d stop, breathe easy, remind God this was His project and not mine and either pray for the fabric to multiply (which it did) or pray for a tool that might not work to be sufficient (which it was). Thank God that He is able to turn water into wine and unskilled people into interior designers/carpenters! After everything was finished and I saw that it actually turned out well, I bawled like a baby with gratefulness and humility in awe of God’s faithfulness in supplying me with everything needed to complete His project! Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers!
Love & blessings for 2012,
Alicia
P.S. Everything in the room was custom made or redone in some way other than the rug on the floor and the comforter on the single bed.
“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you.” 2 Samuel 7:11b …or in this case that he will gather people together to provide a room for a teenager in need. Isn’t he cool!?
