Since Thursday, we have had at least six inches of rain in our area and that isn’t the first time we have dealt with massive amounts of water recently. Two weeks ago, we had an issue with an outdoor hose and water ran down along the foundation, causing the sump pump to work almost non-stop throughout the night. I thought it was rain water and it wasn’t until the next morning that Janet and I discovered the problem out in the yard. Thankfully, it was a quick fix to repair the damaged section of the hose and life moved on. The funny thing is that we are so careful about turning the water off at the house that I can’t help but wonder if a workman took a drink and forgot to turn the hose back off at the spigot.
Thankfully, the sump worked like a champ and we didn’t have any problems with water coming into the lower level of our home. All went well with this problem and we had a happy ending. In the process, we spoke with the man who built our home and will also have to have two lower window sashes replaced that have not stood the test of time with the weather we have been experiencing – especially on the lake side of the house. I was worried about matching what we have, but he assured us it wouldn’t be a problem and since the windows come out easily, we shouldn’t even notice a disruption in our home. Hallelujah!
We celebrated Labor Day by having our local family (Jill isn’t in town currently) come over and have dinner together. We were all talking and having a grand time when I noticed that for some reason the television had gone off. It turns out that it “died” that evening and nothing we could do would bring it back to “life.”
Normally, this wouldn’t be such an issue but the TV is older and has been here since the house was built back in 2003. In fact, It was one of those big 65″ jobs that was built into special cabinetry that was designed to accommodate this large unit. I have dreaded the day that we would have to face the proposition of having to have the cabinet re-made to hold a replacement.
So for the past 4-1/2 years, I have thought about this eventuality every time I turned the television on. And last Monday, my fear became a reality. Not only did we have to look for a new set, but there was the cabinet issue and how in the world were we going to remove that huge, heavy TV from our home. I should have known that our son, Andrew, was on it and already had ideas on what we should do.
Tuesday, we went and purchased a new unit that, coincidentally, was within an inch of the old set screen size. Of course, we would have to have the cabinet modified but even that turned into an easy task as our handyman was able to come on Friday and figure out a way to mount the set without disturbing the finished front of the cabinet. It looks awesome and we were thrilled with the outcome.
Then, yesterday, we were able to hire someone to remove the old unit from our home and we are now good to go. Mission accomplished! I guess I worried more than 4 years about something that turned out okay. Andrew got it all put back together within 5 days – top to bottom. What a blessing to us…
There are trials and tribulations for all of us at every turn. But that’s not how God wants us to live. He wants us to choose joy and to love one another. And I, of all people, know that it’s difficult to choose joy in the midst of worry and concern. And let’s face it, some people are difficult to love…
Our verse for tonight highlights that obedience to God’s commands is the way to true joy. The apostle John tells us the words of Jesus in his Gospel, in John 15:9-12, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
My encouragement this evening is that there is always a path to joy if we are willing to be patient and listen to what Jesus has to say on the subject. My prayer is that our lives will be filled with love and made easier for facing our issues each day. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…