How to Cultivate Gratitude When Life Is Frustrating
When you wake up to use the bathroom at 2 am, it’s never a good thing to step out of bed and into a puddle of cold water.
An Opportunity to Cultivate Gratitude
But that’s what happened in early March of this year. A pipe in the bathroom faucet on the second floor had failed and had been spewing water throughout the house for up to two hours while we all slept. We quickly turned off the water at the source, but there was water all over the upstairs. When we went downstairs, we found water pouring through the kitchen light fixture, onto the floor, through the floor vent, and into the basement.
My husband drilled holes in our kitchen ceiling to let the water out so the ceiling wouldn’t collapse. We pulled out the shop vac and every towel in the house and went to work. In our panic, and out of concern about water coming through the light fixture (let’s not get electrocuted in the process!), we called 911. The firemen in our little town were kind and checked everything out, determined it was safe, and suggested we call our insurance company and a water remediation company in the morning.
The next morning, while I was still on the phone with insurance, there was a knock on the door. It was someone from a water remediation/restoration company asking if we needed help. I had no idea how he knew! It turns out that one of the benefits of living in a small town is that the firefighters are friends with the remediation companies. One of the firefighters from the night had called his friend and told him we would need help.
It wasn’t long before the house was swarmed with our insurance adjuster, along with people wielding fans and dehumidifiers.
As I write this three months after that event, we just this week finished the last of the repairs, and our house is back together, better than it was before.
Stepping Out of Frustration
It was definitely a trying process, filled with challenges, setbacks, and frustrations. But one of the things I learned through it was the importance of gratitude. Being thankful allowed us to step out of our frustration and see God’s hand at work.
- There was just enough water to total out ALL of the flooring in our house. We have lived in this house for over 25 years and raised 3 kids in it. The floors were definitely in need of replacing!
- We did not lose any personal property.
- The remediation process revealed some other issues we didn’t know about and needed to address.
- We were able to live in the house the entire time, rather than being displaced in a hotel.
- If my husband had not woken up when he did, the kitchen ceiling probably would have caved in.
- If this had happened in the heat of summer, we would not have been able to stay home while the dehumidifiers did their work of heating up the house in order to dry it out.
I’m also so grateful for my husband. I’m prone to anxiety, but I found peace each step of the way as I was reminded that it didn’t all land on my shoulders. With all the decisions, coordinating, wondering if all was being done right—we were in it together as a team.
I’m grateful for people who know how to install drywall, fix plumbing, remove and replace cabinets, and install flooring.
I appreciate my home even more than I did before. I’m grateful that I can now walk through the house barefoot without stepping on staples or bare subfloor. I love my new floors, light fixtures, and bathroom vanities!
Sometimes it takes a disaster to give us perspective and gratitude for what we have and how God walks with us through it all.
Meet Amy Simon
Amy Simon is a writer, podcaster, coach, and follower of Jesus. She loves helping Christian women bridge the gap between their God-given desire to write for others and the unbiblical thought patterns that keep them silent. She has helped hundreds of writers uncover how their unique gifts, passions, and life experiences have given them a valuable message to share with others. She coaches and teaches writers through her podcast, The Purposeful Pen, and through one-on-one coaching. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband in their gradually emptying nest. You can find her online at AmyLynnSimon.com.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
