Patience is not a word I like today. I feel more like a puppy who can't sit still than a dove on its nest. Every morning cold air blasts through my kitchen window and reminds me I'm running out of time. But I still have to wait for the mud (joint compound) to dry before I can go to the next step. God knows all of this. It isn't a surprise to him. He knows every moment of my day before it even happens. But I don't. I worry. I worry that it won't get done fast enough. I worry that I won't have money to do it. I worry that I won't be able to figure out how to do it. I worry that by the time the house is a home all my children will have flown the nest.
It's not like I've never been out on a limb with God before. This should be old hat. God is in control. God knows and He has never failed. But it is so easy to want to grab the reins and control things myself. That's just it though. I'm not the one in control. He is and that is good. So today while the mud dries, way too slowly, I will share with you about another project that went way too slow. However, now its where I go to escape the stud walls, lath ceilings, and piles of mess. It is our bathroom.
When we accepted the house we knew the first project would have to be the bathroom. It had not been used for years because the cast iron drain had multiple holes in it. Pete had used the awkward bathroom squished under the stairs, which was fine for one person but not nine. We did at least put up a shower curtain for some privacy while we worked on the real bathroom. A long story short we ended up basically gutting it, even ripping up floor boards to get to the pipes that needed to be replaced. I can't find any pictures of the original room because they are packed somewhere in our living room (storage facility) but here are some of the earliest pictures I have.
It's not like I've never been out on a limb with God before. This should be old hat. God is in control. God knows and He has never failed. But it is so easy to want to grab the reins and control things myself. That's just it though. I'm not the one in control. He is and that is good. So today while the mud dries, way too slowly, I will share with you about another project that went way too slow. However, now its where I go to escape the stud walls, lath ceilings, and piles of mess. It is our bathroom.
When we accepted the house we knew the first project would have to be the bathroom. It had not been used for years because the cast iron drain had multiple holes in it. Pete had used the awkward bathroom squished under the stairs, which was fine for one person but not nine. We did at least put up a shower curtain for some privacy while we worked on the real bathroom. A long story short we ended up basically gutting it, even ripping up floor boards to get to the pipes that needed to be replaced. I can't find any pictures of the original room because they are packed somewhere in our living room (storage facility) but here are some of the earliest pictures I have.
 This is looking in from the hallway after we put the floor back together. |  To the right is where the toilet used to be before we ripped it out. Above is just a higher view looking in from the hallway. |  |  This is from inside the bathroom looking toward the hallway. |
It's amazing to me how little these pictures tell. Marty moved here in April to work so I thought he should be able to get a lot done and we could at least move in with a real bathroom. But in my desire to have it done I totally overlooked all the tiny details that were involved in what he did. When we would return on weekends it was very frustrating for all of us because we just weren't seeing the results we wanted. When he would tell us of what he did it seemed so trivial that tensions rose. I wonder if that's how I am with God. I'm not seeing the results I want so the intricate details of all that He is doing in our lives seem less than sufficient when in fact, they are the most important. What if, just to make us happy, Marty would have hurried the process with the pipes and quickly covered them with what I wanted - a floor. In only seconds the water damage would destroy the very thing I wanted and create a much bigger mess. Maybe some of my tension would decrease if I would stop trying to rush and appreciate all the details that God is working out in me.
Finally we were going to put in the exhaust fan! Again, I overlooked the "little" things. Just put a hole in the ceiling and ta-da we have a light/fan. Well...the box for the fan was bigger than the hole that was already there. Ok, so make the hole bigger, right? Yes, but that brought a flood of newly blown in insulation and a much bigger hole than we needed. Also, in order to exhaust the bathroom we had to run a duct from the fan to the outside. Remember the 18 inch think blanket of insulation and the over 100 degree days? Well, I was shaking and sweating as I placed one board in front of the other crawling 15 feet across beams I couldn't see in the attic. One wrong move and through the ceiling I would go. Marty had a ladder on the porch roof as he drilled through the outer wall to connect the duct work. Yeah, I discovered the hard way just how much it takes to get those "little" things done.
Finally we were going to put in the exhaust fan! Again, I overlooked the "little" things. Just put a hole in the ceiling and ta-da we have a light/fan. Well...the box for the fan was bigger than the hole that was already there. Ok, so make the hole bigger, right? Yes, but that brought a flood of newly blown in insulation and a much bigger hole than we needed. Also, in order to exhaust the bathroom we had to run a duct from the fan to the outside. Remember the 18 inch think blanket of insulation and the over 100 degree days? Well, I was shaking and sweating as I placed one board in front of the other crawling 15 feet across beams I couldn't see in the attic. One wrong move and through the ceiling I would go. Marty had a ladder on the porch roof as he drilled through the outer wall to connect the duct work. Yeah, I discovered the hard way just how much it takes to get those "little" things done.
 Rather large hole for the exhaust fan. |  Insulation mess. We did bag it and put it back but that wasn't easy either. |  The hole is repaired!!! |  DONE!! Seems so simple doesn't it? |
Card box made by Sandy New.
Even though I felt like all the details were impossibly slow we did eventually get to paint. The only problem was we were all moved in and the cost of renting a truck and gas and food and tolls, etc. had drained our pockets. Again, God in His perfect timing already had that under control, before I even knew I needed it. When I left my job at Riddell, my friends there all got together and surprised me with an adorable box of cards filled with gift cards to Home Depot and Lowe's! I had planned to use it for something special that I wouldn't otherwise get but at this point having a real bathroom would be pretty special. I picked out a new shower curtain which I normally wouldn't do and used that to determine the whole look of the bathroom. It even has scripture on it which I had originally wanted to put on the wall but I like this much better.
The bathroom is now "done" thanks to a lot of people who worked together and gave a gift. I would still like to do a few things with the bathroom but I will have to be patient. It's time to move on to other projects that are also a great need. But when I get overwhelmed I go back to my bathroom and remind myself, "It can be done. It can be done..." So I must be patient and wait for that mud to dry and there's nothing I can do to rush it. God has it under control and He's working out the details I don't even know about. Ok, maybe I feel a little less like a puppy now. Maybe I'm more of a tiger watching his prey - patiently waiting for the right moment but ever so ready to pounce when it comes.
James 1:2 - 5
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
The bathroom is now "done" thanks to a lot of people who worked together and gave a gift. I would still like to do a few things with the bathroom but I will have to be patient. It's time to move on to other projects that are also a great need. But when I get overwhelmed I go back to my bathroom and remind myself, "It can be done. It can be done..." So I must be patient and wait for that mud to dry and there's nothing I can do to rush it. God has it under control and He's working out the details I don't even know about. Ok, maybe I feel a little less like a puppy now. Maybe I'm more of a tiger watching his prey - patiently waiting for the right moment but ever so ready to pounce when it comes.
James 1:2 - 5
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
More bathroom pictures
 Matthew helped me paint. I was very nervous about the color but I love it.  Jared could be counted on for whatever I asked, especially if it involved power tools.  Marty and I grouting our floor. This one has a huge life lesson but I'll share that another day.  Looking in from the hallway. A REAL bathroom!!! |  New lights from my friends at Riddell and a newly stained cabinet.  Just as I took a picture of our "little" trim details Victoria who was always helping with something entered.  Noah was quite pleased to be strong enough to help Daddy bring in the new toilet.  A little higher view. Notice the shower curtain from my friends. |  Matthew also helped with the trim. It took a lot of concentration.  Eli just beamed when he got to help Daddy put the screws in the subfloor.  Best Daddy in the whole world - mine. It was his knowledge and guidance that gave us the courage to tackle this huge project.  Looking back out toward the hallway from inside our finished bathroom. |  Not to be outdone Elijah very patiently got this nail in all by himself.  Two little sets of feet fit on one tile but not for long, I'm sure.  Finally! You have no idea how beautiful this is to us. |
RSS Feed