It's a 45 degree rainy day here at our house on the eve of June 1. For dinner, we had soup: an easy, stove-top meal. About half-way through the recipe for accompanying biscuits, I realized - again - we have no oven. You see, our 20 year-old state-of-the-art range died exactly two weeks ago, and we've been waiting to pull the trigger on a new purchase. Working gas burners, but no working oven.
As I attempted to bake the biscuits on the grill, it occurred to me that we really are making do with what we have. Our vacuum hose is patched with duct tape. The dishwasher handle is broken along with so many rungs and tines that hold our dishes. Our down comforter and pillows seem to have lost all loftiness. Scott's 1999 Alero has too many issues to count. The patio furniture, the couch cushions, the crumbling front porch, the list goes on.
It's easy to see all the wear, tear and damage. And even easier to feel urgency over updating and upgrading. Fifty or sixty years ago, the dedication to beautiful homes and fabulous living was not such big business. Now? I'm smacked with selection and choice and aesthetic and the perfect everything I can easily live up to with a swipe of plastic.
The thing is, though, every single day our needs are being met (and exceeded). Despite the broken. Despite the hand-me-downs and leftovers and band-aid fixes to get us by. We are blessed. Don't get me wrong. I like nice things. I like proportion and balanced color and manicured exteriors and picture-perfect rooms. I dream of a bigger space, a nicer kitchen, a great vehicle for Scott, a fix for everything. But I wouldn't trade those dreams for our quality of life, our great neighbors, our short commute to church and school, the Christian education we choose for our children, the amenities of our township, and the love we have in this place.
It's all about perspective. Sometimes it just doesn't matter how lowly the means to achieve an awesome end result. It only matters that we see the blessing in it all.
In case you were wondering, the biscuits turned out pretty well.
