Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Flooded Out Floors

A quiet tap on our door around 5:00am. I knew it must not be good so I tried to go back to sleep. This is a good time to let David be the man of the house and as always he rose to the occasion. Emily stepped foot into the downstairs bathroom to a flood.

She came upstairs and found the source before she even got to it. The upstairs bathroom was ten hours into on ongoing flow out of the bowl, into the hallway, into Eric's room and over the family room. By 6:00am fans are going, towels are doing cycles from the soaking floors to the dryer and back. Not how any one wants to wake up.

I did get up with David, a little later, and together we just looked stunned. Nothing either of us could do to make it all okay. So he got ready for work and off he went. I got the boys ready for school. At breakfast the boys were fearful. Afraid to walk into the family room where the ceiling was bulging and bubbling. I told them that it was going to be okay and fear is sometimes good and keeps us safe. We have a note that hangs of our morning jobs. I reminded them that the first task of each day is to thank Jesus for the day. They did that and Ethan said he was still a little scared. They then told me that Sponge Bob's bathtub overflowed and the floor fell down below and landed on Patrick's head. I am beginning to think that sometimes my life really is a cartoon because after hearing that we all started laughing.

I picked up our puppy and the boys and took them to school. Ran some errands and truly prayed my upstairs would not be partly in my downstairs. David called me on my way home from shopping and said he had contacted the insurance company who immediately started a claim and assured David they would be sending the right people out. David said that there is a $500.00 deductible. David is mindful of where every dollar goes in our household. This particular month has been an expensive one already. Two new pairs of eye glasses for me, airline tickets and putting in part of our yard. He does not like to ever dip into savings and I am with him on that. I could sense his concern.

As I drove the rest of the way home I began to pray for David. I prayed that he would have peace and that I would not be all "joyful in all things", "don't worry David God has this all figured out" in his face kind of a way. Even though on my facebook status I was rejoicing with God for this crazy start to my day. I prayed that God would show Himself to David in ways that made sense to David. I hopped out of the car, unloaded groceries, played with Emerson and the puppy and got the mail.

I stood at the kitchen counter sorting mail and opening it. And there neatly printed was a check for exactly $500.00. I looked at this check for about five seconds and started crying. Exactly the amount for our deductible, no more no less. I called David and tried to assure him there were no new emergencies because the voice he first heard was me crying and then me laughing. Apparently several months earlier I had overpaid a bill that I was no even aware of and the company had issued a refund. Wow!!!!

Friends do you get this God whom we serve? Even writing this I laugh and cry at the same time. Praying over my husband God knew what David needed for peace. And that this would come this exact, precise, spectacular day of flooding in our home. I do rejoice. I don't rejoice over seeing the seams of the upper floor outline on the ceiling of the bottom floor and I know that God is going to take away that part of my heart that is like this..."but this is my new home God, are you serious?".

Life happens, sometimes it devastates, sometimes it's like a Sponge Bob cartoon and in all things we are called to Honor Him, Serve Him, and be joyful. Adopt Him into your ever thought and be glad. Thanks Lord Jesus that you are here in the midst of flooded out floors. Amen

5 comments:

  1. what a great story Elizabeth. Thanks for posting! What great provision from God. So exciting to see Him move. And I'm so sorry you had the flood. That's really a bummer.

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  2. Oh my goodness, I was laughing too with the Sponge Bob understanding. We're huge fans over here, and I well remember that episode. In many ways, friend, we're living a similar path right now. Realizing that the four walls we're living beneath are temporary and that our God is FAITHFUL to provide for our every need, long before we ever realized our need. You see, he saw it all... this bathtub episode. A week earlier, he set the wheels in motion for you to receive a check at just the right time. I'm not a big fan of thinking that we're all just puppets being manipulated by the hands of God. I do think, however, that there are some occasions in our lives when he intervenes in a most miraculous way to bring about a very tangible witness of himself in our every day lives.

    He's done it for me recently, and I'm still in awe of the gift. Again, it came at the 11th hour, but it came, and we're are exceedingly grateful for the heavens that moved on our behalf!

    Love you. Hope you are well. I find my heart just longing to have a day's worth of chatting with you face-to-face. If not here, sweet friend, then there.

    Let me know when Emily's first CD is available! I love her music, as you well know.

    peace~elaine

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  3. Truly amazing God we have Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  4. The whole sponge bob thing is just hilarious... that they would put it all together must mean that the whole thing must have looked surreal to them.

    Praying for you.
    Praying for you.
    Praying for you.

    (I would say... "Calgon, take me away..." but that seems kind of cruel right now...)

    Love and hugs!

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  5. I love it when God so completely knows our needs even before we do. He always provides. Recently, we were looking into buying a single seated car trailer to pull Rachael on our bike rides. A friend ended up giving us a double seat trailer!! No cost, just because I am a friend! I love God! He always knows what is best.

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