Anyway, I became additcted to, I mean accustomed to, air conditioning many years ago when our kids were little. Scott would come home from work and find me hot, sweaty and g.r.u.m.p.y. I'd keep the kids in the basement family room all day for survival. We were all bored. We didn't see the sun. I didn't cook. I hated summer. Finally Scott realized it would be a better investment to put central air in our home than continue to eat at the Great Northern Mall Food Court night after night through the summer. (At least there was variety.)
So that you know how grateful I was for it, I don't think one hot, hazy, humid day went by that I didn't thank God for that air conditioning. Out loud. Usually when I was running from the air conditioned van to the front door of the house.
Well, have you heard the phrase, "You never know what you've got til it's gone?" Yup. When we moved to the Binghamton area about 18 months ago, we bought a house with NO air conditioning. And it wasn't for my lack of trying. We looked at 14 houses.
The first question out of my mouth to our realtor in every house was, "Does it have air conditioning?" To which he would reply, "It has baseboard heat." I could not for the life of me understand what that was supposed to mean. Who cares about the heat? I assume the house has heat. So I'd ask again. Same answer. Scott would look at me and say with his eyes, "Stop bugging him!" Why wouldn't he answer my question? So we'd go to another house and I'd ask again. And he'd answer the same way. So I'd say, "Thank you, but does it have air conditioning?" Same response. Sometimes Scott would try to help poor Dave make me understand and he would say, "It doesn't have forced air." I'd stand there and think (out loud in my head), "YES, BUT DOES IT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING!?!?!" Eventually, by house 14 the answer was, "This one has forced air so you can get air conditioning." I still didn't understand the connection but realized this is the only house in our price range and desired school district that we could eventually put air conditioning into. Beautiful. Sold.
So you know I'm not a complete princess, I suggested that we tough it out the first summer to see if central air was really necessary (as if I thought the climate would be different 75 miles south of our pleasantly air conditioned home). We were sure we could handle it and then we would put it in the following year if we had to. Can you spell n-a-i-v-e? Our first summer in that house (2012) was brutal and now we are neck deep into our second summer. Still no central air.
Did you ever notice that sometimes even the best plans don't always work out as you hope? Nope. Not happening this year either. So instead, we sweat. We sleep in the basement on an air mattress. One of us complains. Certain ones of us are in danger of killing other ones of us. Not mentioning any names.
At this point, I'd like to recognize our many friends who are concerned for our well-being. They feel sorry for us. They check on us (maybe because we are elderly?), offer us reprieve and I'm sure, are praying for our summer survival. One very generous and thoughtful couple offered to buy us an air conditioner.
Did I mention that ALL of our windows are vertical, so window units are OUT? Not an option. Just another blessing. I wonder at times, why this strange turn of events in our lives. But back to our friends...naturally, we said, "You may not buy us an air conditioner! We'll be fine. We're tough. We can handle it.". No one willingly lets their friends spend such a large amount of money on them simply for comfort. I hate being a high maintenance friend. But boy did they get huge credit in our thanksgiving journals - what a sweet gesture and the love we felt from them was enough.
As I flit about from air conditioned businesses and friend's homes, I had lunch (out) with a girlfriend I love. A few days later she told me she was having something delivered to my house. We are crafting buddies, so I thought maybe it was a wreath or one of her own creations.
After a few days, she asked me if I got the shipping confirmation in the mail. No. And to be honest, I had forgotten all about it. She then said, "Well, you're going to have to be home to receive it." Oh. Ok. No problem. She said, "It's not much but we did some research and hope it takes the edge off - it's a portable air conditioner." "Excuse me?", I choked, "Not much? You can't buy us an air conditioner. They are so expensive!" Well, as she put it, "It's too late. We already did."
I was so overwhelmed with the enormity of the gift that I fear I underreacted. I was sort of paralyzed. I immediately recalled my own desperate prayers (in the shower no less) days before when I begged God for some relief from this oppressive heat and miserable house. Does God reward whining? I'm not going to give that an answer, but I am going to say that I believe He hears the cries of His children and cares about each little thing that concerns us.
He doesn't answer every prayer the way we'd like or in our timeframe (I could write many a blog post on that), but I knew that day that Jesus loves me and that He has filled our lives with friends who love us. I believe that Jesus puts ideas in the hearts of His people to meet the needs and/or simply the desires of others. Talk about BLOWN AWAY. I started getting used to the idea and began checking email once or twice a day, or maybe it was every hour.
I didn't leave the house for the next 5 days awaiting it's arrival. (Not really, I went to church on Sunday.) We heard the weather report for this week (starting yesterday) and I was scared. What if it doesn't come in time for this heat wave? Would we survive?
I still hadn't received an email saying it had shipped. BUT, that didn't stop me from asking God for an Eph. 3:20 kind of answer, (immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine). So yesterday, again, in the shower, I begged God for delivery. I even said, "I know we haven't received the email but YOU are so much BIGGER than that!". And I believed it.
Not only would I not leave the sweaty house, but I planted myself in our stifling living room with a fan on waiting, hoping, for that UPS truck. Sometime in the afternoon, I fell asleep for a minute or two and awoke when I heard Scott coming in the door with this.
100 pounds of glorious metal and plastic. I was never so happy to get a package. It's blurry because I was shaking with anticipation. Or jumping up and down. I may or may not have indicated that we should open it (and plug it in) right.this.minute.
But in less than an hour, Scott had it rigged up. I love that man. He is no longer in harm's way. I think my hair sort of tells the story of the climate in our house. Yikes! Now I'd like to introduce you to my new best friend. Isn't she gorgeous? I expect this to be a long term friendship. I plan to spend the rest of the summer right by her side. I love her. I need her.
I'm also thankful to the Lord for hearing my self-serving pleas for relief and sending it in a way I could never have imagined. I love the way He loves us. In a season of drought and desert in so many ways, He has provided refreshment. Truly, this gift has aided in strengthening us for the rest of this journey to the great unknown.
Not to mention illustrated how important it is to listen to God's promptings to look after each other and give generously.
God loves you too and He is perfectly capable to be your need meeter. You can trust Him. Believe it!
"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat." Isa. 25:4 Amen.
1 comment:
You make a beautiful couple, but don't kiss her when it's cold, your lips might stick! LOL
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