Daleville family gets new home

On Friday, May 26, Cara Cole and her children received the keys to their new home thanks to Wiregrass Habitat for Humanity.

Having a new home, she said, meant having a safe place to live.

"It took a lot of work to build this house," Cole said. "A lot of contractors did the work, but they had a day where we put walls up. They had a day where we put vinyl siding on. They had a day where we painted the walls. They had a day where we did the grass, so all those were big volunteer days."

She initially applied for assistance through Habitat for Humanity years ago, she said.

"I originally started this in 2011, and in 2014, they were actively taking applicants," Cole said. "Once that got approved – and that took seven or eight months – then, you wait more. It's all about waiting and being patient."

The work on her house began in January 2017.

"This lot was wooded," she said. "They had to clear the lot, and then they had to push the dirt around. Then, the bottom came. Slowly, over the months, you would see more progress."

During the home dedication ceremony on May 26, Jim Peters, pastor at Daleville Baptist Church, blessed the home, quoting Proverbs 24:3, which states, "by wisdom, a house is built."

"A house is one thing, but what you want is a home," Peters said. "It begins, honestly, with the structure. The heart of the home is found within."

The only way to find the wisdom to build a home, Peters said, was to turn to God.

"The only way you're going to find that is by turning to the One who provided it in the first place," he said. "We understand this lesson came from the help of others and through an organization that helps so many. We understand that all good and perfect gifts comes from above, and we want to give acknowledgement to the one who provided them."

He also referenced Joshua 24, where Joshua declared that his house would serve the Lord.

"If you make that declaration for your home today, it will not just be a house; it will be a home," he said.

Don Swanson, a member of the WHFH construction staff, presented Cole with a hammer, "a symbol of hard work."

"The hammer is a symbol of hard work," Swanson said. "The founder of Habitat for Humanity wrote a book called 'The Theology of the Hammer,'" and he said, ' When you build a house, you have a hammer and get a nail. You hit it, and you hit it again. You hit it again. You might have to do it five or six times.'"

Swanson said to build a home, a person would have to hit 20,000 nails again and again, but it would be a home.

Russell Clausell, pastor at Geneva Christian Fellowship Community Church, also presented Cole with a Bible for her new home.

"One of the most precious gifts that you'll receive is the Bible," Clausell said. "The Bible is the Word of God, and its instructions for your life are listed here. The Bible talks about how important the Word of God is, and I believe somewhere it is written that before any parts of this Word will fade, Heaven and Earth will pass away."

Clausell said Cole and her family could use the Word as armor in their new home.

"For instructions for living, for healing, for every day situations, you'll find them here in the Word," he said. "Even the apostle Paul talks about, in Ephesians, when he talks about the Armor of God, the only offensive weapon that's listed in the word of God. So, you can take this and you can use it before trouble gets here."

Cole said she was thankful for the work of volunteers and staff of WHFH.

"I appreciate everybody coming out whenever they could, even if you only came for 10 minutes," she said. " Thank you."