Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark!

So, in light of my daughter’s recent blog about age (http://withthankfulhearts.blogspot.com), I thought I would share a conversation I had yesterday. We are doing some remodeling at our church. The latest phase involves gutting the original building (built in the mid 1850s) for a new Sunday School room and offices. I was curious as to the progress and visited the site where several Amish men were finishing tearing out all the old partitions, walls, and ceilings.

When I entered the building, I stood in amazement because the room, which originally was the totality of the building’s first floor, was now entirely open. It was easy to visualize the original purpose, a sanctuary with pews and a podium. This room had not been open like this for several years. After a new sanctuary was built in the 1970s this room was divided into several smaller rooms for various purposes. As I marveled at the original setting the following discussion with the Amish workers took place.

Me: “This is wonderful, why don’t you guys just leave it like this?”

Amish fellow: “We have been looking at the construction trying to decide how old this building is.”

Me: “Well, I remember this being all open like this before the new sanctuary was built. My wife and I were married in this room.”

Amish fellow (with a twinkle in his eye): “Really, you were married in this room? Was that when the building was new?”

Other Amish workers: “Ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. . . . “

Me: “Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark!”

Amish fellow: Big smile!

So . . . in a matter of a few short hours I have gone from WAY, WAY, WAY old to absolutely ancient and getting ready to celebrate our 150^th wedding anniversary! My, time sure does fly by when you are having fun.