Wednesday, January 16

dealing with it

Early last week, we noticed something rather disturbing: our bathroom floor was making squishy noises. Squishy like a very wet sponge. We decided we'd better take up the laminate floor and determine the source of our interesting sound effects. We suspected that the toilet was the culprit.

When we installed the laminate throughout the main area of the house, we READ the box, choosing to ignore the warning against installing the stuff in the bathroom. We wanted a nice looking floor, we clean up our water spills quickly anyway, and, we reasoned, the worst that can happen is that it won't work and we will have to install tile before we resell in the next few years.

Or, you know, before February.

So, on Saturday, Michael started to remove the laminate. The stench was overpowering, and I quickly packed up Aaron and set out to knock out some errands. Two and a half hours later, we returned to find the bathroom floor completely removed, the cement slab bleached, and the hallway floor & underlayment propped up about 3" and our fans blowing air underneath.

The floor has been propped up since then, and we think the underlayment is finally dry. Hopefully we can re-install the few pieces of laminate that we removed from the hallway without much trouble. Oh, and the bathroom will need to be tiled soon.

Apparently, we needed a double-thick wax seal for that toilet.

And yesterday? Yesterday, I was scouring the tub and a few of Aaron's foam letters fell into the cleaning area, so I set them in the sink to rinse. The sink overflowed, causing water to spill over the counter edge, down the vanity, across the floor, and under the wall into the office. (we still don't have baseboards to keep the water contained in one room) I have to say, that little incident made me wish I'd stayed in bed.

Why is it that we can "handle" the big things life throws at us, but these little problems just cause frustration? Why is it that I run to God when my heart is broken, when I'm hurting or scared, but these daily small things make me crazy?

If God knows how many hairs are on my head, he certainly knows when I forget to turn the water off and make a river out of my house! And he certainly cares about my yucky floors! I definitely need His help in every second of every day. I definitely need to lean MORE on my God. I need HIM to help me deal with every little thing.

8 comments:

Karen said...

Ugh. Frustrating is right! As the wife of a talented Mr. Fix-It, I can certainly sympathize with you. Hopefully it won't be long before you have a beautiful new (TILE!) floor! :)

Rachel said...

We've had our share of water issues in the past so I can identify. I totally hear you on our failure to give the little things to God. He cares about the details - He's a God of detail, why shouldn't He?

You'll laugh to know that I've been praying for wisdom to potty train Michael in the right way. It sounds so funny but I know that my God cares about this area of his training just as much as the rest:).

I hope that you guys were able to get things back to some semblance of order. Thanks for the mini-devotional/reminder:).

Matt & Nicki said...

I can totally relate to your frustrations with getting frustrated. I am the same way. . .the littlest things send me into absolute nuttiness, pouting and whining, and yet the "big" things in life, I tend to take a little more in stride, knowing they are in the Lord's hands and I can't control or change them. Thanks for your transparency--it's good to know I'm not alone in this struggle. . and a good reminder that God cares about the little incidences of life too! Hope all the repairs go quickly and smoothly!

Tricia said...

Amen to that Jenny! I was just thinking that as I took the kids to the library for story time and then to the grocery. The boys were obedient but seemingly sooo slow and I was feeling frustrated and sinful. I have asked forgiveness but I feel like putting a sign on my forehead to remind me that these little areas are important to be obedient and trusting in, not just the big stuff! Thanks for the reminder too.

Shelldell said...

Jenny, I'm sorry for this mess, we all will have them from time to time. I have flooded a trailer. Moved into three houses that had that problem in the bathroom and had our dishwasher leak after putting this type of flooring in and flooded our laundry room in the last 29 years.The inconveince is frustrating but I find that's the reality we face we live in a world that's not perfect, but I'm glad God is and it's His grace that carries us threw. Hope you'll be back in order soon and that your family is together in the Lord.Love, Shelley

ruth said...

But the good news is that our Father takes pity on us. He knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust.

Jenny, I just love reading your blog. Thanks for being so open and so faithful to share what's going on in your life, the good and the bad. Love you!

Rosemary said...

Your are SO blessed, Jenny. WOW!!!
I am currently trying an experiment...every time I complain about something, I try to thank God for 5 things. (I hope that it becomes a habit.) So here goes - 5 "rainbows" for you - after your flood:) 1. A home (more than a lot of folks have!) 2. A talented 'Mr. Fixit' for a husband 3. A healthy and very smart child 4. Your health and energy to keep up with him, AND 5. At this point, a REALLY CLEAN floor!

Reads said...

I know this is a little late, but I had to comment. We had the a problem with our wax ring causing the same type of damage. The difference is that our house has a crawl space under our house, the moisture went all the way down. What a mess my poor husband had to deal with. It happened to us last fall, no fun at all. Then the overflowing, I can feel your pain because I moved my washing machine and the pipe going out of the washer came out of the drain pipe, thus all the water from the next load of laundry ended up on the floor. . . those are trying days. Having the right response is TOUGH!!