Good Saturday to you from our home to yours on this sunny and cold March morning here in Iowa. We are heading towards warmer temps once again next week, but today the fireplace is going and hot drinks are in our hands as we begin the day.
I have been going over some of the hundreds of articles I have written over the years as I gather them for a book. I am amazed at how many leave me laughing or shaking my head. So many adventures that make "life stranger than fiction". Thought I would share one today.
In January 2014 I wrote about a water fiasco that occured for us during a blizzard. That was the winter of water issues here, from frozen pipes and flooding toilets to an incident with a shop vac which I am sharing today.
We had been forewarned of a blizzard and by late in the afternoon of that day the weather took an abrupt turn with temperatures plunging to -40 and winds sustained at 40 mph and gusting over 50 mph. Snow and bitter cold were causing more than our bones to complain as our house creaked and groaned loudly!
We kept hearing a banging noise in the kitchen somewhere and sought out the cause. Joel finally figured out that the high winds were causing the lower bathroom ceiling fan to flap and vibrate making a gread deal of noise. He decided to head dowstairs to the basement to figure out what he could do to make it stop. After finding yet another use for duck tape and plastic, he decided he would clean out the fan vent while he had it open. He took the shop vaccuum and put on the attachment so he could reach deep inside. While standing on a chair and sucking out the dust and lint the attachment fell apart, leaving him with just the end piece in his hands. As he looked down to see what had happened to the rest of the hose he saw it fall into the toilet. Before he could react and grab for it, ALL the water was sucked out of the toilet and into the vacuum. The toilet bowl was dry by the time he was able to take action!
What just happened??!?
He quickly jumped down and turned off the vacuum. As fast as he could he took the water logged vacuum bag out of the vacuum, ran it upstairs and got it outisde into the garage. When he came in and told me what had happened he was laughing so hard he could hardly talk....which of course got me laughing...we were both hysterical to the point of tears over this latest toilet crisis. We noted that the stress we were feeling over life that day was "sucked" right out of us. We laughed about this for a long time.............
Laughing is so important while walking through life. There are going to be times in our lives that leave us asking......"What just happened?" Sometimes on a lighter scale like with our shop vac where we can easily laugh about it. But there will be circumstances on a much more challenging scale where everything gets shaken up, our foundation moves, fear rises.....and we are left asking "what just happened"?
This morning Joel and I had a quiet time where we waited to hear from God or have him show us something...which is how I often "hear" from Him. After about 10 minutes I asked Joel what He heard and he he replied, "Just one thing.........WE are so LOVED by God." I told him that what I had seen relaid the same thing. I was sitting on my favorite bench overlooking a city on a bay and Jesus was right beside me linking arms with me. The Lion of Judah was leaning against my leg and behind me stood Papa God who put His hand on my shoulder. Holy Spirit was in movement around me with swirls of color. I felt so cared for, so loved. I heard.........."Just lean in to us." Such a comfort.
Today's story, on a more serious note, has me thinking there are plenty of times, I expect, when each of us find ourselves saying, "What just happened?" Times when we can take comfort in this same scene I saw and words shared by Joel. Lean in to God and remember, we are loved.
I pray that for Ukraine today as their horrific battle for freedom continues. I pray that for those who struggle with the treatments and aftermath of cancer, heart disease, and Covid, broken hearts, broken relationships, and more. For those who are asking on a large scale or small scale........"What just happened?" May all of you, all of us find that when those seasons of life come ....we hear God say, "You are so loved....just lean in to Me."
It is a strange Saturday Scribbles I am sharing, but it is where my mind is scribbling. So today I am grateful for reminders of God's love, for the videos he shows me in my mind, for words of comfort from the Trinity, for a funny story to share, for a quiet week, texts, emails, phone calls, and pictures that draw us near to those we love and care about. Grateful for laughter and it's healing qualities. Grateful we can lean in to God, Jesus, and Holy and know beyond a doubt that we are loved, Grateful for all this and so much more....
Enjoy your weekend!
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