The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 (NLT)
Speaking of deteriorating houses:
Last month, I found a wet spot on the ceiling. My upstairs neighbor’s sink was leaking. The plumber came: all fixed. All good.
We thought.
As I waited for the insurance claim to process, I watched the spot darken. Yep, mold. (sigh)
Last week I hired the same plumbing company to fix a pipe by my water heater. And I joined their “loyalty club,” sensing that I might need a plumber “in my pocket.” I was right.
My insurance agent told me to get an estimate. I found an A+-rated contractor on the Better Business Bureau website. The estimate was reasonable, actually less than I expected, so I hired them.
Well, the workman came, removed the moldy drywall, and found that there was still water dripping and puddling between the floors. Everything came to a screeching halt.
Of course, my neighbor was out of town for the holiday. Her son was home, though, so the plumber came and did a shuttle evaluation between our units.
Bottom line, they will have to remove more of my ceiling to fix the leak. But it’s all on hold until after the Fourth of July weekend.
So, how am I doing, you ask? Strangely okay. I’ve been practicing looking on the bright side:
1. There is metal, not wood, under the drips. Mold is unlikely to recur.
2. The workman was the company owner. He didn’t charge me for what he did or ask for the 50% down payment on the project.
3. The moldy drywall is gone! (Woo-hoo!) Air can get into the area and perhaps dry it out a little.
4. I am God’s child and He watches over me. (Okay, maybe that should have been the first reason.)
I woke the next morning with another thought: this winter we heard mice running around between the floors. I wondered if vermin were raining down on the cats like confetti …
Nope. No mice. And that may be the brightest side of all.
It’s not over yet. But it will be. I can – and will – cope with this because of reason #4. God has got this. God has got me.
The Lord on high is more powerful than the sound of many waters …
Psalm 93:4a New Life Version (NLV)