Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Though the official Thanksgiving holiday is only one day, here in the United States we traditionally spend all of November reflecting on the things we are thankful for. The holiday harkens back to the very first Thanksgiving meal, shared between the settlers who barely survived their first year on these shores (many, in fact, did not) and the Native Americans who graciously taught them how to grow and hunt for food.
I recently found myself being rather ungrateful.
In October, my husband and I finally got around to having some significant water damage under our kitchen sink repaired. We hired a company recommended to us, and they came do the work fairly quickly. Boy, was I surprised to find out — mid-demolition, mind you! — that reconstruction of our counters and cabinetry was not part of the contract agreement. Wait, what??!??! This information should have been made abundantly clear on the front end, yet it was never mentioned! Suddenly our kitchen was a half-finished construction project with no timeline for regaining the use of our sink and dishwasher. Cue all the emotions: anger toward the project manager, frustration toward the entire situation, and disappointment in myself for not asking the right questions.
Later that evening, as I fumed over washing dishes in the laundry room utility sink (did I mention I detest doing dishes?), God's still, small voice whispered in my ear. “What do you really have to be ungrateful for?” As grumpy as I was, He was right. I still had a sink, and an extra sink at that. I wasn't washing dishes in a bathroom, but instead in a generously-sized utility sink.
Then an image I saw a couple of years ago flashed across my mind. On Instagram, I follow a missionary couple in Kenya who have spent years with a particular tribe sharing the gospel, making disciples, and caring for the people as best they can. The image I remembered was a post they made showing their process of washing dishes with very limited access to fresh water. It was tedious! The several-step process utilized the water in every possible way (with respect to sanitation) before it simply had to be discarded.
If this couple could endure washing dishes in this painstaking manner for years on end for the sake of telling people about Jesus, why in the world am I being so whiny over my simple inconvenience? Because that's truly what our kitchen situation boils down to: temporary inconvenience.
“Lord, I'm so sorry for being ungrateful. Thank you so much for this utility sink. Thank you for the funds to fix the water damage in the first place. Thank you for the stash of leftover paper plates that we can use for the next couple of weeks. Thank you for reminding me what's truly important.”
As of the day I’m writing this, our cabinets, sink, and dishwasher have been reinstalled, but the countertops are still a work in progress. The lingering construction zone, however, no longer frustrates me. This temporary inconvenience has me looking at every little thing in my life with fresh eyes, observing the generosity of the Father, who provides and cares for us in ways we often never see.
Friend, what are you thankful for today? Whatever it is, take a moment right now to thank Him for it!
