A Weaned Child (#25 of 365+)

Our hot water heater exploded last night! Thirty gallons of water seeped into the carpet as we tried to fight off the tide while waiting for help to arrive. Since we live in a townhouse apartment we
immediately called the “emergency” maintenance phone number. It turned out this number belonged to a maintenance employee we did not know. This gentleman wasn’t the maintenance supervisor who used to live in the apartment two doors down from us (until yesterday), he didn’t speak English very well, he wasn’t entirely sober at that late hour, and much to our dismay he informed us he didn’t live on the property and it would take at least 40 minutes to arrive on site. After we called him twice, we went ahead and called a plumber and a water extraction company.

To make a long story short, the water extraction company couldn’t get all the water out of the carpet so we may need to rip it out to replace the padding underneath. Dirt has been tracked throughout the lower level, furniture and belongings have been shoved aside and stacked high, and the water is shut off for the time being until the new water heater can be installed. Here I am typing away at my blog in the midst of this mess, knowing I’ll need to get ready for work soon without the use of running water so I can attend a “mandatory” meeting. I’ve already notified my bosses by email that I’ll need to return home afterwards. My husband is staying home from work to supervise all the repairs and to make sure we get reimbursed. My role will be to 1) keep him calm just in case something else happens, and 2) help clean up the place properly after everything is done.

This morning’s devotional is quite appropriate in light of what just happened to us. “I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:2). A weaned toddler isn’t as clingy or cranky anymore. He has learned to be patient and confident in his mother. Our souls can be weaned as well when we learn to have confidence in God.

My husband and I were understandably upset last night. We weren’t calm or quiet by any stretch of the imagination. While trying to maintain a sense of humor in the midst of our loss and disappointment, I kept thinking about what God was trying to show me through this situation. I don’t know yet if it was a test from him or an attack from the enemy but I do know that we have God and we have each other. Life is very good.

Lord, thank you for teaching us to look to you as we tried to “walk on water” last night. I know it could have been much, much worse than it was. Please help us resolve this situation today so we can move on to greater things as soon as possible. Amen.