It has been awhile since I've been regularly on the Internet, much less working on my web site. But I have started something new - a "blog" (see below and take the link) - and it seems to be inspiring me to get back to work...at least a little.
I usually write a note at the end or beginning of a year, but I was quite busy over Christmas 2005 with some unplanned (at least by me) activities. I woke up to a loud knocking on my basement apartment door on Tuesday, December 20 at 4 a.m. When I cautiously answered, I saw a man who didn't speak English pointing to the hall floor where, I began to realize, the carpet was quite wet. I indicated I would call someone, closed my door, then realized my carpet was also wet, and getting wetter by the minute. Though we didn't know it at the time, it was a break in the newly-inspected water heater, and it made a real mess, even though it was clean water!
The management was very good about it all--they had the furniture up on blocks and started drying everything with huge fans within an hour and a half (before the water was stopped, it had risen to my ankles in the kitchen, dining room and living room and was working on the bathroom and bedroom). It took two days (48 hours) for the carpet to become dry enough to remove the furniture, so we got it out on Thursday afternoon of the 22nd, and they laid new carpet Friday morning the 23rd. Friday afternoon the 23rd was spent putting things back in place and getting things out of my bedroom closets so only-soggy-not-ruined carpet could finish drying (I had a storage chest in there etc). Then came Christmas and a three-day weekend, and on Tuesday morning the 27th, we finished moving my things back in the bedroom before I took off with a friend for the day. The management also let me have free run of the model apartment while all this was going on and gave me as much help as possible.
Speaking of help, I had help everywhere I turned. My church, as always, was wonderful to me. There were all-I-needed and then some offers to help me move my furniture in and out of the main rooms. I had help also from my sons throughout the mess (including making sure I had food and comfort (my kitchen was too packed with furniture to get to my fridge), and Jonathan's father-in-law helped move things as well. One church family who read about the problem on email while they were on vacation in Florida emailed me offering me the use of their home and spare car. None of my gifts got wet, and I even had compensatory time built up so I could take off Thursday and Friday afternoons before Christmas, and I had already scheduled that week off as vacation between Christmas and New Years, so I used that time to recover.
What did I lose? About 6-10 books that were on the bottom shelf of put them together yourself bookcases in the dining room and another 5-10 (books) that hadn't made it into a bookcase yet. In fact, the books were my biggest challenge, as I have several hundred that had to be moved to deal with the rugs. If it weren't for the books, things would have been a lot simpler, but years ago God put it on my heart to build a good-sized Christian library, and then He'd show me what to do with it. Anyway...
I lost virtually nothing through this mishap, and all my needs were taken care of. In a sense it was "no harm, no foul." Yet I still felt displaced. It reminded me of the 2002 tornado. This link (go to the December 26, 2004 update paragraph near the end of the letter) tells that story. It was something that reminded me again that the only "home" I can count on is my "home" in Jesus. All else can change, and that at a moment's notice. I also remembered and noted well that this was much different from what Hurricane Katrina victims went through (and still are going through).
This time (comparing my reactions) I was disoriented for less time than with the tornado. I felt that what the Lord wanted of me was to thankfully take the things provided and move on--not to let this stop me, not to even focus on it any more than necessary. I feel like I'm in training, but I'm not sure for what. I've discovered that I don't have to know the "why" of everything, and that sometimes it is better not to know. My job is to be thankful, and make the best of today, looking for and discovering once again the wonders of God's grace.
That is also my prayer for you, my friends. I pray you see and experience the wonders of God's grace daily in your lives, and that you never cease to be amazed by it. May you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ daily. May we all grow to the level of maturity that pleases Him this year, and may our faith become ever more practical, where the rubber-meets-the-road. God bless!
Love in Jesus, Barb
If you have any links you want me to prayerfully consider including in this section, please email me the details and give me a way to contact you. - Thanks.
The Jesus Project - Here is
a new link that is well worth our time to support. It can be a place to put up
happenings, messages concerning God's work in your city, and all sorts of
things. (To see my starter on the message board, tune in to Indianapolis.) Read
the terms - they're to help keep things edifying. Register. Start communicating
with your city.- This is an ambitious project that just became available a
couple days ago, literally. What an opportunity! Enjoy. 04-03-00
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