Sadly but thankfully.

Sadly but thankfully.

 Thankfully, our basement once looked like this with very little effort.
Sadly, it no longer does.

Thankfully, last Thursday we had a giant rainstorm, signifying the coming end of a long winter.
Sadly, much of the rain and melting snow found its way in our basement.
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Thankfully, James had not yet used his Christmas Lowe’s gift card.
Sadly, he had to spend it on something unexpected and not fun–a wet vac.20140220_115749

Thankfully, we had friends and neighbors come the second we called, pleading for help.
Sadly, what they discovered left us needing bigger help.

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Thankfully, James is a quick learner and hard worker in the art of deconstruction.
Sadly, it’s going to take a lot more to get it re-constructed.
Thankfully, he found a long-lost window, maybe meaning more light for the basement!20140226_220742

Thankfully, the Lord provided for this major repair exactly the week we needed it
(in the form of tax refund and work bonus/overtime), with even a teeeny bit to spare!
Sadly, my piano fund has become the building-back-up-the-emergency-fund.

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Thankfully, these guys work in 10 degree temperatures.
Thankfully, they’re working with excellence and giving us a long-term fix.
Thankfully, we were spared becoming slaves and did not have to go into debt for this project!

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Thankfully, we can use our very favorite, nicest piece of
furniture we’ve ever owned in our main living space.

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I know there are so many more moments to be thankful about than sad. And that is the main attitude I’m trying to maintain here. James is great about always seeing what’s good, what’s God’s hand in situations. I balked at the idea of using our carefully-saved-for emergency fund…for anything! (But Dave Ramsey-ites, this is EXACTLY what an emergency fund is for, and boy, am I glad we had one!) But as we continue to be inspired by George Muller’s life (someday, he’s getting his own post!), we were convinced that God had provided for this very emergency. I don’t want to look back on this event ten years from now, see the nearly-exact amount of money we had just received, only to have said that that wasn’t enough. To see that God provided for this need and I said I wanted more cushion, that I had a better plan for our monies?! We did not want to regret not accepting this gift from the Lord and using it toward what He would have. So we’ve moved ahead with this major repair of waterproofing our basement. We can still pay for our bills and our wants. We can still eat more than we need. We’re still a family. And life is still good, because who am I to say, knowing all things are under God, that this is not good? Whether He’s done it or allowed it, He’s good, so it’s good. We receive the hardships and the blessings, because really they’re all blessings anyway–God teaching and pruning and calling and leading, and why wouldn’t I think of that as a blessing? It’s a big endeavor, this trusting without seeing, but really isn’t that the point of trusting?

Plus. James said we may just be able to swing that piano purchase anyway. Something about a happy wife…

2 Comments
  • The basement’s back!
    Posted at 21:23h, 18 April Reply

    […] a long road this has been. We lost use of our basement as a regular living space February 2014 due to leaky walls, found it flooding again due to a sewer […]

  • When the gift points to the Giver.
    Posted at 08:33h, 01 August Reply

    […] haven’t been able to save for my dream piano ever since the basement flood. But James’ mom brought us the wonderful gift of their little keyboard, and even without all […]

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