The Blessing of a Flooded Basement

Well it's been a crazy-busy couple of weeks in my world (which is kind of like being a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, except for being its polar opposite).

I've not connected with the gratitude community for the past two weeks, except to check in on a few posts.  It's not that I've not received a multitude of gifts from the Giver.  Quite the opposite.  I have been showered in abundance, and it's hard to know where to start.  And the greatest of gifts quite possibly may have come in the place I least expected.

It was my joy and privilege to attend my niece's wedding, surrounded by extended family.  My baby girl graduated from college.  Between those two landmark events my basement flooded, and that may have been where I saw God's fingerprints most clearly over the past couple of days.

After returning from my niece's wedding, I threw a load of clothing into the wash and began the re-entry process--going through mail, making phone calls, checking e-mail.  I didn't think twice about my laundry.  Before heading out to run some errands, I opened the laundry room door to shut off the washer, because I'm one of those people who obsesses about unattended washers springing a leak.  I opened the door to water flooding the laundry room floor and running down onto our first floor family room and storage area.  The discharge hose had broken and, for some while,water had been pumping into the washer and then out onto the floor.

I did not want to call my husband at work and tell him.  Because he is an engineer by trade and temperament, he understands how damaging water can be when it seeps into places where it isn't supposed to be--insulation.  Sheet rock.  Electrical fixtures.  He works very hard at keeping unwanted water out of our house.  Me--my instinct would have been simply to mop up the water as best I could and then allow the mold and mildew to begin to build.

He did come home and we began to clean up, and the most amazing thing happened.  I felt at peace.  Now, lesser things have caused me to spiral from hope to despair in a shorter period of time than can be measured by mere mortal man.  But I was able to see the gifts, the blessings:  We were mopping up clean water, not mud and sewage like the folks in Rhode Island recently or those in Nashville currently.  I had considered, while I was away, asking my son to throw in a load of laundry but hadn't, potentially saving him from feeling responsible had the hose broken on his watch.  I also thought about throwing in a load when I'd gotten home at night which would have allowed water to run all night long.  We have homeowners insurance.  The water didn't reach the hard wood flooring.  Our camping equipment, including down sleeping bags, was surrounded by water but not damaged.  Companies exist that do fire and water damage restoration.  We were able to get things under control well enough to feel relaxed heading off to our daughter's graduation.

These were all blessings, but the greatest of them was simply having eyes to see.  This is not boasting.  I know this is not of me, my temperament, nor my nature.  It's all of grace.  I can't say that I've mastered the practice of keeping in step with the Spirit.  I can bear witness, however, that God is at work and giving me glimpses every now and then of His trailing glory as I struggle to keep up with Him.  And I am grateful.

Rejoining the Gratitude Community this week and continuing to number the gifts:



268. Witnessing my sister’s sense of joy and peace as Mother of the Bride.

269. The joy of seeing my mother rightfully assume her role as Queen Mother at the wedding of her first grandchild.

270. Grace in an awkward relationship.

271. Stones that cry out and bear witness to God’s faithfulness. 

272. Logistics that fell into place on the home front while I was away.

273. A stolen morning with my sister to enjoy Missouri wine country, laughter, and stories of God’s faithfulness.

274. Being surrounded by military personnel from three different branches of service on my flight; their encouragement and advice. Knowing they were messengers sent by God to remind me that He will not forsake my son.

275. Being greeted by my two favorite guys at the airport on my return.

276. The blessing of a flooded basement being not as bad as it could have been.

277. Eyes to see God at work.

278. People who do emergency water damage restoration.

279. A husband who attacks a problem logically and methodically and who rolls up his sleeves and does what needs to be done.

280. Being bruised but not breaking any bones when I fell on the basement stairs.

281. That the massive tree that fell during the wind storm fell into the woods and not on our house.

282. A friend willing to coach my son through his final senior project; her willingness to cheer him on to keep him from getting discouraged.

283. Enjoying a meal with my friend who is battling cancer. Having the privilege of hearing about God’s work in her life.

284. Witnessing my baby girl graduate from college.

285. The beloved grandparents making the long drive to celebrate with us.

286. Respectful man-to-man conversations.

287. Letchworth State Park.

288. Caterpillars everywhere! Dangling from trees on campus, crawling on sidewalks, hitchhiking their way into the Baccalaureate service on the robes of the graduates.

289. A bagpiper piping the students into the ceremony.

290. Eugene! Peterson! As the commencement speaker!!!!

291. Hearing his soft, smoky, gravelly voice speak from Jeremiah.

292. The way Jeremiah continues to speak to me this year.

293. A bouquet of pink roses for my daughter.

294. That He who calls her into this next stage of life will equip her.

295. Two interviews scheduled.

296. Mother’s Day breakfast with the beloved Swede and both my kids.

297. Huge, fluffy snowflakes beginning to fall during our graduation celebration dinner and continuing into the next morning during our drive home (after the lilacs have bloomed!). Not being annoyed by them but seeing them as quirky and crazy and fun.

298. An unexpected Mother’s Day gift from my dear carpool friends.