Wisdom Teeth, Hot Water, & an Oven – Reminders of How Good I Have It
What do wisdom teeth, hot water, and an oven have in common? They’re three recent events that have helped me notice things I take for granted.
A few days ago, my daughter had her wisdom teeth removed. She’s now struggling with swelling, pain, and finding soft foods she can eat. After a day or two, pudding, soup, and apple sauce get boring. It’s such a good reminder of how I take my teeth for granted. I remember complaining about the cost of my teeth to my dental hygenist a few years back. I lamented that with all that I’d spent on root canals, crowns, and even an implant, I could buy a really nice car. Without pausing, she pointed out that I use my teeth way more than a car. Good point!
A couple of weeks ago, we were awakened in the middle of the night to a strange, high-pitched noise. My very wise husband got up to investigate. He finally tracked down the sound to a small, hissing leak in a water line coming out of the hot water heater. It was spraying everywhere, but luckily he found it before it did any real damage. We had to shut off the hot water until we could get it fixed. The inconvenience of two days without hot water made me think of what life was like for our grandparents and the generations before. I sure am spoiled!
About a month ago, the broil element in our oven went out. As we removed the old one, we discovered that the ceiling in the 26-year-old stove was badly rusted. We would need a new one. But in the meantime, we hoped we could still use the stovetop. Sparks flew as we plugged it back in so we quickly unplugged it and declared the stove done. It took a few days to do the research and buy a new one. Thank goodness for microwaves!
Don’t get me wrong; these types of situations are irritating. But what if life’s mishaps and frustrations could be used as reminders of all the things we take for granted? What if we could see them as opportunities to pause and reflect for a few moments on how good we have it?
“There’s a lot that is good in your life—don’t take it for granted. Don’t get so focused on the struggles that you miss the gift of today.” – Joel Osteen