Warmth

As I sit here in my nice warm home, I am so very grateful. This time last night was such a different story. We returned home last night, after a glorious day spent in worship and fellowship with the Lord and the Lord's children, ( I love the Lord's day), anxious to get in out of the cold. The outside temp was -19, imagine our surprise when it was as cold inside as it was outside. The pilot light on the furnace had gone out sometime during the day. We tried to light the pilot light, this was not to be. Okay now what? For the first time I am so grateful I am a renter and not a home owner. I called after hours maintenance. If I owned that would mean a service call after hours fee, +. after I woke the poor guy up and made him come into the cold and my cold home, he tried to light the pilot light. Not happening for him either. A switch had gone out, he had the part in his truck, he had to work on it and change it in the cold with no way to warm his hands, I felt bad for him , but not bad enough to send him to his nice warm home, until he had fixed my furnace. ;-) Finally, after about an hour and a half, the pilot light was lit. So Kev and I grabbed all the blankets and comforters, and brought them to the living room, turned on the Christmas lights, put in the Christmas cd's we have, put the fireplace tape and made some hot coffee. We sat bundled up with our poor half frozen kitty and thanked the Lord for shelter, food and the coming warmth. At about 4 in the morning my dear son and I were able to take off our gloves and coats, but we stayed snuggled under every blanket and comforter we owned. By 8:30 the house was starting to feel closer to normal,we are experiencing one of the coldest Arctic fronts we have experienced in years.
As I sit here writing this I can laugh, yet at the same time I am sobered to think, I am so very blessed. Not for one moment did I doubt we would have heat,we always had shelter for the winds and blowing snow and we had food. We had an electric microwave and a gas stove and oven and we could cook and prepare something hot. We had hope. TO my thoughts and heart came all those out there without any of these luxuries. How truly blessed we are. Just a few short hours earlier Sunday evening we had been with other Christians, preparing letters and constructing little parachutes for the persecuted saints in other countries. So safe and warm and well fed. In my selfish sinful mind, I was thinking with pride, what a good thing I am doing. I was not really thinking about their sacrifices. Cut off my comforts and it is amazing just how quickly, I am humbled. I thank the Almighty Lord for humbling me, I also thank Him for heat. I still don't have hot water, But I can tell you , I am sure thankful for it. Tomorrow maintenance will be out to thaw pipes, and then I will be able to enjoy the joys of a nice hot shower again. The trial of the last 24 hours seem so minuscule in retrospect, when I really stop and think on the saints and their trials and persecutions. I thank the Lord for the one cold uncomfortable night we spent last night, and I thank Him that it was only one night.Once again I see I really am Loved beyond measure. And I am so sorry I have taken my blessings for granted.