A Hot House Is Still Considerably Cooler Than Hell
So anyways, on Saturday our air conditioner went out. Our thermostat only registers up to 90 and the needle was pressing against it pretty hard. I’m guessing that inside the house it got anywhere between 95 and 175 degrees that day. So then Geoff came home that evening and got to work trying to clean and fix the unit. It was *really* hot in the house – and we were not your average pack of Happy-Go-Luckies. We were more like your average pack of, “How-about-you-come-over-here-so-I-can-push-this-chop-stick-thru-your-eye”; however, since we *are* you’re average polite Japanese family we’re able to still act relatively pleasant while plotting to kill one another. I have a point to this. Hang on. Ok, so when it was well past bedtime and everybody had been working hard and we were all discouraged since the air conditioner stayed broke, everybody finally slogged off to their room. Except me. I turned off all the lights in the house and laid down on the couch so I could pray – ha ha, this is a joke. What I was really doing was crying like a fat spoiled baby and counting up all the bad things that had happened (was happening) within the last five months. And then all of a sudden my uninvited ten year old came lumbering into my Dark Cave of Tantrum; this was irritating because I don’t allow them to have pity parties or feel sorry for themselves and so the last thing I wanted was for him to see me weepy, irritated and angry. Lucky for me, tho, I had been smart enough to turn off all the lights. I figured that he had also slunk out to the Cave to mope. It had been a hard day for all of us. But instead when he noticed that I was on the couch he came over and started scratching my arm and then rubbing my feet and then he said, “Hey mama, wouldn’t it be great if we had absolutely nothing? because just think, then we’d be so grateful for anything that we got after that”. And then he patted me on the head (he’s been doing that lately) and went off to bed. He totally wrecked my whole tantrum. Did I actually expect an air conditioned house? Yes. Why? Why should I? Did I expect my life to be free of trouble, hardship, and suffering? Yes, apparently that is exactly what I expected, otherwise why would I be so despondent when bad things were happening? Frankly, it made me nervous, because as a Christian I was PROMISED that life for me would be perilous, full of suffering and hardships, persecution, toil, etc. Read Philippians, James, 1st Peter, Thessalonians, Acts – it spells out very clearly what the life of a Christian will look like and what to expect, but for some reason American Christians always seem to miss those parts and cling to verses like, “He’ll give me the desires of my heart”. We think life should come with certain perks in order for us to remain joyful – nice people around us, air conditioned homes, a manageable amount of debt, a working car, enough food, a working fridge, etc. I don’t want to be a Christian like that. I want to be joyful in affliction and faithful thru *anything* that God allows into my life. Do I trust Him? Sunday after church we searched far and wide for the part we needed. Geoff checked Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply, Walmart – to no avail. Lowes said they’d order it and we’d get it within two weeks. And I was happy because I was going to get a second chance at having a good attitude thru something that was going to be unpleasant. And then late Sunday night, my genius husband jimmied a breaker and monkeyed some more with the unit and WHOOOOOSH – I had a full house of chilly air. That man is brilliant. I’m glad I didn’t murder him earlier. Ok, this is getting WAY too long, but here at long last is my Isagenix wrap up: Rib cage: Aug 2 = 32’ inches Aug 6 =30’ inches Aug 13 = 29.5’ inches Waist: Aug 2 = 30’ inches Aug 6 = 28’ inches Aug 13 =27.5 inches Abdomen: Aug 2 = 36’ inches Aug 6 = 33’ inches Aug 13 = 31 inches Weight: Aug 2 = 155 Aug 6 = 147 Aug 13 = 143.4 |
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August 13th, 2007 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments No Responses to ' A Hot House Is Still Considerably Cooler Than Hell 'Leave a reply |
on August 13th, 2007 at 9:46 am
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Oh dear friend… my husband just called me to read your post (after he'd read it) and it was just what we needed right now. You've managed to slap me in the face as well as tug at my heart.
Thanks for the beating…
Love,
Nutpickle
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Oh yea, I can relate
I want to be joyful in all things, but I think the what if's are what scare me – what if things don't stop breaking, what if we can't afford to take care of things, what if our friends all decide we're losers, what if it was worse, ultimately what if God just decides to take it all….
And as shallow as it may seem, I just try to make myself laugh. In the past month or so, we had to replace our central air unit, replace a sliding glass window, do major overhaul on our truck, lost one computer and a TV to lightning, and didn't realize it at the time, but our freezer in the garage also went out then (the one with all our chickens and deer meet in it), our oven actually went out on Jon's birthday as I was about to bake his cake, discovered a leak under the house, both of our mowers have broken, and now the mastiff is needing vet care.
And then our rooster scratched our friends' little boy RIGHT ON THE FACE while we were watching him. I'm telling ya, I wanted to cry, but I just kept thinking… Just laugh. Crying isn't going to help and even the Bible says laughter is good medicine. Just laugh.
May God fill your day with laughter instead of sorrow!
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:06 am
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Hi Mrs. Ig, Julia Byrd here,
I *loved* this post! Thanks so much for encouraging me and inspiring me to suffer gracefully : )
Interesting–Scripture says when we delight ourselves in the Lord He will give us the desires of our heart, but we miss the point. He doesn't give us what we desire, He gives us DESIRES, right?
Thanks again. You are a wise and beautiful lady and have sharpened me.
Julia
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:13 am
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"That man is brilliant. I’m glad I didn’t murder him earlier." Ha ha ha ha! You crack me up Jen!
Thanks for your transparency (speakin' of your honesty here, not your skinniness) in sharing how God convicted you in the middle of your pity party and how he used your boy to sweetly remind you.
Melissa
http://oursidehomeschool.blogspot.com/
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Wow!
You need to get that boy a blog of his own!
You have a gift for always saying/blogging what I need to hear. It is so true that, as with kids, the more we adults have, the more we want and the more we feel ripped off when we don't get it. And I'm the first one to tell my kids "Life isn't fair, and noone ever said it would be." And then whine when the lights on the boat trailor don't work!!! (The irony…)
Having said that, I'm glad your aircon is back on — I grew up in Blount County back when airconditioning was something a teacher's family couldn't afford. There was a reason we kids used to play outside so much more! It was cooler than inside the house.
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:27 am
What a 10 year old!
Wow, I pray that God bless my children with the wisdom He has blessed yours with. How awesome and how true of a statement. That is such a profound comment, (one I needed to hear desperately), that I am going to print it out and tape it somewhere so I can see it daily. Thank you for your honest post. Had one of my pity parties yesterday. Foolish waste of time and emotions. Thank you!!
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Kids…
They have a way of putting things, don't they? When we were stationed in Guam, we went through 2 supertyphoons (cat5 hurricanes) complete with weeks with no power/running water (it's 100% humidity and HOT there). God dealt with a lot of my spoiledness and 'junk' in my life during that spell. After that, my littlest one would go 'goody!!' every time she hit the light switch and it came ON. 🙂 You're right–we expect it. We forget to be grateful for the little things and this was a good reminder today!!
on August 13th, 2007 at 11:00 am
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Either I'm a moron, or you posted your measurements weird…help me understand them!!!!
Sounds like Bo set things straight real quick…he has *SUCH* great thoughts doesn't he!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm so sorry your air went out…at least you had rid yourself of a layer of body weight…think of how hot you would have been if you hadn't lost that weight!!!(hehehe)
Love,
Shay
on August 13th, 2007 at 11:28 am
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danke, shay. i fixed it, hopefully it's readable now.
on August 13th, 2007 at 11:51 am
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I am *soooo* excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must feel great and be tee niney winey…that's southern cute talk for small (haha)!
(Thanks for making your measurements clear to me..and everyone else!)
Love,
Shay
on August 13th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Now that your are cool…
I can say "isn't it great when God gives us the opportunity to experience His grace!" Mind you, I probably would not have commented at all if your air wasn't working. We are sitting at 104 degrees and praising God for air!!!
Stephanie @ inspired
on August 13th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
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OK, so when are you going to pat *me* on the head.
I guess I have to return all the pity party decorations.
~Annemarie
on August 13th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
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JenIG, I love you! I love your honesty and respect you for putting it out there. Thanks for the great and needed reminder to be thankful and joyful in all circumstances. I am such a spoiled American. God bless you richly.
on August 13th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
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my friend just called with a tale of a/c woes this weekend too. she ended up crying as well. i think the heat can do that to you. i'm so glad you are cool again because that is really hard in 100 degree weather to be without a/c.
what a wonderful family you have! i do hope God gives you the desires of your heart.
on August 13th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
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The title of this post made me TOTALLY CRACK UP! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
on August 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
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I'm glad you got our package… I was hoping you'd get it the day after you cleanse ended.. I got tired of that cd.. but would you give me the producers of it so I can order another one of their cds?
love you too- and glad your air conditioner started working again.. and glad you didn't kill your family- I kinda like your kids. they're cool
on August 13th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
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I'm glad you have cold air in your house again! It is too hot to be without that particular blessing.
Yup, I'm a spoiled brat too. I would hope that I would be thankful in all things and in my circumstances… but what you say and how you feel in your heart aren't always the same. Basically I can talk the thankful talk but would I really be able to walk the walk if I were truly suffering? Truly persecuted?
Thanks for ze reality check.
Your kids are smarties. I like that.
Congrats on being the incredible shrinking woman! By the way, are the shakes *really* nasty or just sorta blech? My friend is wondering. She would love to lose 10 lbs. yeah…my friend…
Love,
Marshie
on August 13th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
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That is such an encouraging post. I know I tend to be so spoiled with what I think I 'need'. Thanks for the reminder that it's not about that. 🙂
JoAnn
on August 13th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
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So glad you're all alive…. and not wilted anymore! Praise God for electricity! Can I get an amen?!
on August 13th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
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It really is hard to be nice and cheerful when it is that hot!! But I guess we should try! 🙂
Congratulations on your Isagenix results. I'm sure you feel good. I did a 9 day cleanse last month. It was great. I did get a little hungry though.
Hope you have a wonderful week.
Stacy
on August 13th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
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I have SOOO "been there, done that"…and needed a good kick in the behind. (Not to mention I get REALLY crabby when it's hot!) Thank the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness!!!
And, that's one smart boy you have….but then I didn't expect anything less having you for a mom! 😉
Blessings,
Michelle W.
on August 14th, 2007 at 6:43 am
No Aircon.
I fully empathise with your – maybe that isn't what you need right now but I do know the feelings!
When our power goes off – which happens a lot during the Wet Season – I become not-a-very-nice-person. There have been times when my DH has actually encouraged the children to leave me alone! We lose our power, which means airconditioners, ceiling fans plus we lose our water (farm house works on pump water).
Actually the only thing that makes me behave worse is a line of ants across my floor. Not Nice!!
But recently I have met some people from Zimbabwe and boy, do they have it tough – no bread, hardly any power (they measure when it is on, when I measure when it is off!), no running water, tough! I have nothing to complain about!
So I'm with you for finding a good attitude!
Love
Belinda
http://www.lifestyle-homeschool.com
on August 14th, 2007 at 7:48 am
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A great AND funny story!
I have a son like that…
he brings thankfulness to my heart!
on August 14th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Attention, class…
And yet, another lesson learned from our daily classes of Homeschooling 101: What I Learned From My Child That I Was Supposed To Be Teaching. Actually, the Holy Spirit gets credit for bringing these things to our remembrances, but it's so much more beautiful and beneficial when he does so through our precious 10-year-olds. 🙂 Also, that's pretty exciting about your dieting results! Way to go! Sounds like you have LOTS to be thankful for. 😉
~Connie
Edited by wardssward on Aug. 14, 2007 at 9:50 AM
on August 14th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I needed that!!
I just had me a little ol' tantrum about our van being tore up. I got on the computer and here is your post to remind me I am spoiled and if we had nothing we would be thankful for anything.
Thanks for the reminder! I am off to read what the Bible says about it:~)
on August 14th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
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So glad you are victorious in your attitude over your circumstances, its the little things in life that seem to steal our joy!
Great job on your weight loss. I lost 25 lbs this past month……9lbs 10oz of it I still have but he is on the outside of me and not the inside! 😉
on August 14th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
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Yeah, cool. Get it? Oh my goodness, you CRACK me up! And yes, fried todders are good, but they're best if you marinate and grill them. Glad your AC is back on and your 10-year-old is in touch with God. And we think we're here to teach the KIDS something. . . Karen (bensrib)
on August 14th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
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Jen~
Thanks for the reminder. Your son had a great message. I know that I can be extremely spoiled and need to be soooo thankful for what I do have. Sometimes, we just expect to have these things and we act like we deserve them. It is so hard but we need to remember to be thankful, even in the tough times. God will never leave nor forsake us.
Ruth
on August 14th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
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We were just talking about that very thing "blessing", at Sunday School this week. What is a blessing? What's not a blessing? And really we have it all wrong most of the time.
Good thoughts.
carrie
carrielouise.wordpress.com
on August 14th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Thank you Jen! Oh thank you!
Last night, I was feeling very, very discouraged (major pity party!). My eyes were brimming with tears and I didn't want my dh to see, so I told him I was going to walk down to the store to buy some oats for breakfast in the morning. I walked that dusty block there and back very slowly, barefoot, tears running as I talked to the Lord. "I feel like you don't even care Lord" I cried. When I got home, dh was playing one of our sons chess at the kitchen table, so I went into the back room and thought I'd check a couple blogs.
As I read your blog, I knew the Lord was speaking to me. Living in a 3rd world country, I have long come not to expect many conveniences. I know being a missionary we will go without but the Lord will provide what we need. What I DIDN'T know was that I still expect something… I expect our families back at home to love us and encourage us. I expect my dh to encourage me when things are tough. I expect to be supported and yes, sadly, even praised for our "sacrifices"
When my expectations weren't met…and in fact the opposite took place…I too became a crying baby. Then I read your blog…oh, the precious reminder that the true follower of Christ isn't promised things or praise…in fact, it is the opposite. I am to rejoice when these hardships come, ask the Lord for His grace to go through it all, and trust Him and lean on Him all the more.
I slept so peacefully last night. Thank you Jen for sharing. The Lord used you to tremendously bless one missionary's wife very much!
on August 14th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Hi IsoGenii,
thanks for popping by my blog. I didn't know you were japanese, though I guess igarashi sounds more like japanese than brazilian 🙂
on August 14th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Are you Serious?
Is this true you lost 12 pounds in less than two weeks? Did you really sweat it off with out your AC? Come and fess up.
Is "Isagenix" a code name for Iga'sinix and you are really telling fibs??? I only lost 12 lbs the time I had a nine pound baby.
I'm not sure I believe this. I want Coie to measure you and blog about it and then I might believe it. Jealously yours, a
friend who shall be nameless and has been trying desperately for three months and lost six pounds and also two inches (off my hair).
on August 15th, 2007 at 7:00 am
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Wow! I missed this!
You are so right….
And I am so there in quite a few aspects of life. The Lord is working on me with it!!!
on August 15th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Thanks!
Just wanted to say thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.
What you said in this post is what ran through my mind yesterday (as we beat the 105 degree record set in 1954…we hit 106 yesterday)…We as Christians say we deserve h*ll, but we grumble about it being 106! (Or grumble about this and that.) Maybe we don't really think we deserve h*ll. Hmmm…maybe that's why we don't appreciate His grace as much as we should.
Be blessed today!
on August 15th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
((Jen))
You are such a refreshing honest friend. I just love you so much. Thanks for being so very real. Without even trying you encourage us.
Love and miss you,
Kate
on August 20th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Blessings…
Air conditioning is a blessing from above. That's all I have to say.
And once again crazy Jen has convicted.
on August 26th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
MY WORD!!
Jen, I am just bawling! Thank you for this post! God has blessed you with a testimony, and thank you so much for sharing it. It takes a friend speaking honestly to make us open our eyes. I thank God for using you as a vessel to deliver this message to me.
Hugs,
Christi
on September 15th, 2007 at 1:08 am
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LOL so glad he fixed it! And aren't you blessed to have a handy guy? Some of us aren't so fortunate…
Good going on the cleanse thingy. I really want to try, but we're moving and can't spend any money. I'm impressed tho! My waistline was 26-27" when I got married, I would love to see that number again.
on September 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
thanks jen
great post…good perspective…heart check here…
your ten year old speaks with wisdom beyond his years…=)
I still am grateful that God set my life in this era…with technology and modern conveniences…than in a previous era.
A/C is truly wonderful…
the cleanse is intriguing, but not in the budget at this time. looks as if you had pretty good results for how skinny you were to start with (I can say skinny because you were my goal weight when you started!!)