Gem of the Week

Last night, I watched the season finale of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." I LOVE this show...I cry every time. I love knowing there are still people in this world who truly care, who reach out to help others in their darkest hour, and realize in the end, they not only helped another human being, but learned something about themselves in the process.

In this episode, Bernard McFarland received a new house, a library next door and 15 passenger van for his organization, Packhouse 2000, and a new car for his family. SEARS also paid off his mortgage, and his 3 sons were granted full scholarships to a local university. Wow.

You would never know Bernard was living in a house with his 3 teenage sons--who all slept in the same room (one on a mattress on the floor), only one working bathroom (but the shower and toilet didn't work), a leaking roof, and no central heating or air-conditioning. He was simply dedicated to raising his boys in the neighborhood he'd grown up in, where his parents lived just down the street. Even though he'd seen his home and those of his friend fall into disrepair, he didn't want to give up.

When Ty Pennigton asked Bernard if there was one motto he lived by, this is what he said:

Lift as you climb...

Bernard explained that he didn't just believe in working hard, but to help others up as you went forward in life, even though it might take everything you had. This man lived...more for others than himself. What a example he is to his family, his sons, and the many kids who looked up to him as a father figure. I must say, I was impressed, humbled, and touched beyond measure.