I stepped onto the deck to check it out and the sound of angry water, like a swollen creek, put me on high alert. I had heard this sound before. It brought me back to the early morning of February 21, 2009 when our unit got the brunt of a burst water main. Last time it was beside our townhouse building. This time it turned out to be directly under the utility room attached to our home.
I alerted my husband. He started calling people. I ran downstairs, but already black water was flowing onto the three-year-old laminate. In the hour that it took for the city to shut off the flow, our den, storage, and much of the garage was inundated with biohazard water. Ugh!
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| The flood of 2012 |
I tried to count my blessings (we were warm and dry; we had a big jug of Safeway water on hand for the hours our complex was waterless; we were insured; a restoration company was taking care of the mess; I was so glad this hadn't happened two weeks earlier when we were away on holidays). Still I found myself fighting an attitude slump. Why us? Why again?
On Thursday morning I happened to reread my own words, posted on my devo blog. Tuesday and Wednesday they were about how circumstances can show what's inside of us. Thursday's post (written weeks earlier) was about having the right attitude in the middle of trouble. I had ended it with this quote from Joyce Meyer:
"Practice being positive in each situation that arises. Even if whatever is taking place in your life at the moment is not so good, expect God to bring good out of it, as He has promised in His Word....Isn't it bizarre yet wonderful how God can use our own writings to speak to us?
...Being positive in a positive situation is easy. Anyone can do that. But when we are positive in a negative situation it shows a genuine trust in God and a spiritual maturity that pleases and glorifies God" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, pp. 38, 44.
And so I encourage you, if you keep a journal of your quiet time thoughts or other record of what God is teaching you, re-read your jottings from time to time. There may just be a lesson in them for you to relearn.
By Violet Nesdoly
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Website: www.violetnesdoly.com- Personal blog promptings
- Writerly blog Line upon line
- Daily devotions for children Bible Drive-Thru
- Daily devotions for adults: Other Food: daily devos
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Oh dear, Violet. So sorry to hear about this awful incident. I pray all will be cleared and that you are coping okay. Good for you for putting a positive spin on it and realizing that God rules and we don't! Those were wise words that you wrote and yes, sometimes God has us write words just so we can minister to 'ourselves!' Chin up - we know Who is up there! Blessings as you wade through this mess in more ways than one...x
ReplyDeleteThat is to bad to have water in your home. So glad to read that you could have a positive look. That is not always easy.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! How terrible. yet, as you said, what an 'opportunity' to put your faith into practice. I also like to reread my own journals periodically because it can be very encouraging to see how god has answered prayer.
ReplyDeleteoh Violet,
ReplyDeleteThis brought back memories of my daughter's sewer backup. She lost so much stuff - but was able to see that it was just stuff. All their boxes were stored in the basement and the water was 2 feet high of sludge. So treasured Christmas ornaments and mementos were lost as well.
Now they pack everything in plastic bins high up on shelves. The water undermined their family room as well - but insurance helped them rebuild a better one. Yes seeing blessings in the midst of adversity - and thanking God through everything. AMEN.
Thank you all for your supportive comments! Our flood is certainly small potatoes compared to Jan's daughter. We are even going to hang onto our bookshelves--though the insurance co. was writing them off. They are only minimally damaged and I'm very happy not to have to go shopping, and then spend hours assembling everything.
ReplyDeleteBut I must say, Joyce Meyer's 'Battlefield of the Mind' has prepared me to face events like this, in that it taught me, I don't have to be at the mercy of my thoughts. I can control what I think. I can choose to be thankful.
So glad things worked out in the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that practical lesson in attitude