Eternal Home Makeover

A few weeks ago, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featured a family from right here in my hometown of Louisville. The Hughes family has been an inspiration around here from the time the city heard his story. It wasn't until Ty Pennington and his team came to town that the rest of the world got to witness the story of this amazing young man.

Here's a video featuring Patrick's story...

Patrick was born without eyes and with a crippling disease that has kept him wheelchair bound. But neither of those disabilities has kept him from his dreams. At a young age, he had a love for music and became quite the musician playing various instruments including the trumpet and the piano. When he went to the University of Louisville and joined the marching band, his Dad made sure he was at every rehearsal and performance to make sure Patrick could participate like every other band member. A Dad who feels like his life is blessed, yet he gives sacrificially so his son can live out his dream.

When the team demolished and rebuilt the Hughes home, it was quite an event around here. Our local stations followed the construction, buses shipped people hourly to the site, and we watched as a 19-year old boy brought tears to all of our eyes. Although I don't normally watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I made sure to record this episode. It doesn't take a lot for me to cry, so watching this episode was probably going to be a two-boxer (of Kleenex, that is).

Not only did the Hughes family get a home makeover, but the UofL marching band got a renovated practice field, named in honor of Patrick. When the final home reveal happened after the "Move that bus!" proclamation, Patrick was handed a model of the home to feel and understand how the home was designed. No more would his wheelchair scratch the walls as the entire home was wheelchair accessible. Patrick even had his own wing so he can begin to live more independently.

Patrick made a comment on the episode about his new home. He said in his mind he envisioned an extraordinary mansion and it was far beyond what he imagined. That statement has stuck with me more than anything else from that episode. As a Christian, I have the confidence that one day, I will have an extraordinary mansion that is far beyond what I can imagine...

"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." - John 14:2

As wonderful as my home is here on earth, the thought of a mansion beyond what I can envision is almost unfathomable. That is truly an Eternal Home Makeover.