Count Your Blessings . . . Even If You Didn't Choose Them

I am sitting at my computer right now - thankful for the air conditioning that is cooling this room. You see, yesterday it quit working, and we were left in the smoldering heat of the Southeast Texas summer, complete with humidity and not a fan in sight.

If I had been God yesterday, I would have waved my finger at that A/C unit and utilized my omniscient and omnipotent powers to correct whatever went wrong. Unfortunately, my godlike abilities extend no farther than cleaning a mean bathroom and making some fairly amazing pies. Instead of my problem being solved immediately, I had to call in reinforcements - namely, my dad.

As usual, he dropped what he was doing and rushed over to rescue his daughter and son-in-law who have about as much knowledge in the field of air conditioning as they do about neuroscience, which is to say, absolutely none! Dad proceeded to check things out and pronounce our A/C sick. We had to call in the professionals. Meanwhile, we spent the night with my mom and dad. Yes, they took us all in - my daughter, my husband, myself, and even our dog, Sarah.

Needless to say, our favorite Heating & A/C guy, Tommy Barfield with Precision Air, rushed to our rescue this morning and fixed the problem for a more than fair price. Really, I have to say that Mr. Barfield is amazing, so if you live in Baytown and have A/C problems, he's your man! No, I'm not getting endorsement deals from him, but I think it is only fitting that someone who performs a service well and for a reasonable price deserves to have his name mentioned. And thanks to him we are now sitting in a wonderfully, comfortably cool house.

I said all of that to say that had it been up to me (you know, if I were God), I would have skipped over the middle man and fixed the problem myself. He could have done that, you know. He could have just "healed" our A/C, but that is not how He chose to do it. However, through this inconvenience we were reminded of some of our other blessings.

First, I have amazing parents who did not voice one complaint as we practically moved in to their house yesterday. If you have a kid, you know what I am talking about. We had to be sure we had everything down to extra sheets in case she had an accident and her bath toys because Avari has never bathed anywhere but our house. We tramped in and took over the place for 24 hours with no prior notice. Talk about loving, understanding parents.

Second, we found out that Avari did not have as much of a problem staying away from home as we had expected. Granted, her MiMi and Pop have a room all set up for her complete with a bed almost exactly like hers at home. Nevertheless, the first night away from home can be challenging, especially if you have one like mine who is a stickler for routine and familiarity.

Third, we were reminded that there are still honest, courteous people out there in the world. Sometimes I wonder, because when we are at their mercy, it is easy for them to take advantage of us since we haven't got a clue whether they are being truthful and forthright.

Last, but not least, I was reminded that Papa always knows best how to handle these things. I would have saved some money doing it my way, but I would have lost a lot of perspective. In the end, the lesson is worth the cost, especially since Papa owns the cattle on a thousand hills. And ultimately, He's going to take care of the bill anyway.

Next time you find yourself in less than desirable circumstances, remember that there just may be a lesson to be learned there, and count your blessings even if they are not the ones you would have chosen for yourself!