A roof over our heads...

For those who have been following our leaking roof/bedroom ceiling/chandelier saga-- I'm happy to report that our home is now high and dry with a sparkly new covering of solid slate colored shingle! Happy Easter (and Happy Tax Return) to us! The damage was rather extensive, and we're lucky, with all the rainstorms we've had this year, that our entire house is not a swimming pool, according to how much rotten wood was underneath the old roof. We are thankful, and yet dumbfounded at how something so "out of sight/out of mind" can be so incredibly draining to the bank account! You definitely take things like a good solid roof for granted in this country. A roof over our heads is something we should be daily thanking God for-- and yet we don't stop to think about its blessing until something goes drastically wrong. Even then we are so quick to do the opposite-- finding ourselves in a mode of complaining...as if it's our right to have a roof over our heads that is well-constructed and never gives us any trouble.
We take a lot of things for granted -- health, freedom, peace, transportation, a full wardrobe, running water... the list could go on for pages and pages... but the analogy of the roof over our heads really reminds me of the many ways God has "covered" us in this life-- We see a "leak" here and there and instead of thanking Him for the wonder of His loving protection, we complain about the annoyance of the trial. Sometimes He allows the branches of life to penetrate our comfortable little worlds, and the true contents of our hearts get revealed. It makes me want to evaluate my thankfulness meter-- and rearrange my perspective on how many blessings we have that we really don't deserve...
I read a story once about a woman whose husband was having a difficult time making ends meet financially. One day the electric company turned off their power. She knew he was already feeling badly about himself and the whole situation, so instead of greeting him that evening with disappointment, blame, and anxiety, she had a romantic candlelight dinner on the table. Can you imagine this man's reaction when, later that evening, he finally went to switch on a light and discovered the reality at hand? Though he probably felt the weight of it all, I would imagine the truth of his wife's love, faith, and humility transcended the truth of the situation. In the midst of such a stressful and potentially fearful time of their lives, she gave him some gifts he would remember forever. Respect, dignity, hope, and trust. What an inspiring portrayal of the kind of woman any of us would love to be!
So I end this Easter Sunday counting my many blessings... and refreshing my outlook on just how good we have it! And despite being a down a few $$, I possess the treasures of Heaven, the comforts of home, a healthy baby growing inside of me, and a sweet and strong husband to fall asleep next to... which really makes me the richest woman in the world...