Water

It has been a crazy winter weather-wise! Not only in the United States! I saw a post from a British friend yesterday commenting on the terrible rains and flooding they are having over there! Here in the USA, it has been very cold and snowy! In my neck of the woods, we have experienced single digit and sub-zero temperatures several days this week. That is very, very cold for our southern climate!

I live in a pier and beam home. While my pipes are content with occasional dips down into the teens and 20's, they were NOT happy with several days of extreme cold and protested by cutting off my water supply to most of my home. I had no hot water anywhere, and no water to my laundry room, kitchen, guest bath, and the master bath shower. For three days. May I say that alcohol sponge baths are not terribly fun or effective! And hair? Can you say pony tail and hat? And lots of scratching!!! Thankfully, water returned yesterday and an immediate shower, then a long soak ensued!!! I feel much better. And the funky smell that had been following me around finally dissipated!

One of my daughters also lost water, but she lost everything and has not thawed out yet. My other daughter lost no water. We all live within a few blocks of each other, and my daughters live across the street from each other. So why the different levels of loss? We all had the same temperatures. We all live in pier and beam homes. We all have the same level of protection. The girls keep their home temperatures at about the same level, my home temperature is warmer than theirs. We should have had the same amount of loss. But we didn't. Who knows why. But it made me think.

Life happens. We see it happening and often comment on the unfairness of it. And it is unfair. One person, just as good as the next, experiences tragedy and loss. Sometimes repeatedly. The next person, equally good, seems to live a charmed life full of success and contentment. The person after that, cruel, unkind, also seems to live a charmed life, while the next bad guy seems to get what we would feel he deserved. What is the difference? I don't know. But God does!

I can tell you this. The most spiritual growth I have personally experienced has been during the worst times of my life. The most effective lessons I have been taught have come out of adversity. Maybe that's the difference between the two good people. One learns easily, is just as dependent upon God during the good times as the bad. The other becomes self-sufficient during the good times, leaning less upon God then than in the difficult times.

Something to learn perhaps for this likes-to-be-in-control good person.