We came home Wednesday night from the South East Calvary Chapel Pastors and Leaders Conference exhausted and deeply refreshed.
But we woke up to very unwanted surprise the following morning…cold showers. And for three mornings, we either skipped our showers, boiled water to heat wash cloths, or shivered our way to clean hair.

And on the trip home, we talked long about God’s provision, how He’s never failed yet. And although it often feels like we’re teetering on the edge, He’s always caught us.

Because when you feel like you’re slipping over the edge and you can’t see the hand that’s going to pull you back to safety, it’s easy to look around and become ungrateful. It’s easy to spot all the things that would make life safer and more comfortable. It’s easy to give God a list of all the things you need to keep you from ruin and faith.

And in a moment of worry, God stripped away the tiniest of luxuries for three days…hot water.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon our landlord came and fixed the hot water heater and the light switch in the bathroom that was becoming increasingly particular about how it was flipped. And as hot water poured into the kitchen sink and light instantly flooded our little bathroom, gratefulness flooded into my heart.

As I went to the bathroom that night before bed and I couldn’t help, but shout for joy that our light switch was fixed! And Travis spoke the words that were about to leave my tongue a moment before I could.

“We live in a mansion.”
And it truly felt that way.
The gratitude washing over both of us was so strong and sincere.

Just a few days before I’d been stressing about how we would fit baby things into our tiny apartment and wondering how the numbers will add up over the next few months. But God used a broken hot water tank and a finicky light switch to gently remind me how blessed we already are.

One quarter of the earth’s population doesn’t have electricity.
I live in a mansion.
At least eighty percent of people alive right now live on less than ten dollars a day, which is less than four thousand dollars a year.
I live in a mansion.
One out of five children in the developing world don’t even have access to safe water.
I live in a mansion.
{Statistics Source}

I’m not trying to guilt trip you or myself…
But I am greatly blessed and I don’t want to forget it.

And I’m thankful for warm water and working light switches.
And I’m thankful for electricity and a safe, comfortable home.
And I’m even thankful to briefly lose some of my little luxuries, because it reminds me how blessed I am.

Do you live in a mansion?
When was the last time you felt and overwhelming sense of gratitude for a little things like hot water that normally gets overlooked?

Be blessed
<3