Paid In Full

It is an unhappy fact that no matter where you go in this world, you will run across the sort of person who makes you think, "ah, this is why my toaster has to have 'do not immerse' written on it." Just go shopping on a Saturday and you'll see what I mean.

The Husband and the babies and I went out yesterday, in search of a small air conditioner to make our bedroom less like a Babylonian furnace, but alas all we could find was gigantic units that are meant to be stuck in a hole in the wall, ominously knocking units with hoses that are meant to dangle out the window, and little fans that looked like they were designed to chop off baby fingers and toes. They were all being looked at, it seemed, by the same three people, wherever we went--a girl in flip-flops and almost nothing else, a guy who thought that it was a concession that he was wearing a shirt at all, and someone of either gender who was the afore-mentioned toaster-caution person. So we went home, waded through the dead bodies of Nebuchadnezzar's guards that lay piled in the doorway of our bedroom, took our pillows, and camped out in the basement last night.

Today we are being thankful that we have a basement to go into. It could always be worse.

As was demonstrated today in church, when a gentleman got up and related how his wife had been injured in a serious bike accident (I'm assuming there was also a car involved) a month ago and had required a lot of hospital care. Then the roof blew off their barn; he flooded their kitchen because he was (understandably) distracted while washing dishes, and shortly after the missus arrived home, he recieved a bill from the hospital for $40,000. Which is actually cheap, considering how long this lady had to be in the hospital, but it might as well have been $4 billion for the likelihood that this family could ever pay it.

People prayed. God is powerful. This week the family recieved a letter from the hospital (having filled out their "financial assistance" paperwork) informing them that they should consider theier $40,000 as "paid in full".

This gentleman pointed out that never in his life had the parable of the rich man and the unforgiving servant--the one who had everything forgiven him, but then refused to forgive others--or the concept that Christ had paid our debt in full ever meant so much to him.

As for me, it made me quite contrite when I thought about how grumpy a little heat and loss of sleep could make me. It could always be worse.

And God is good. He let even grumpy old me get a good rest last night, after we finally gave up and moved everybody, kit & caboodle, down into the guest room. (Miss Boo had a "special bed" on a camping mattress on the floor and Brother sleeps in a portable bed anyway.)

At any rate, I thought some of you might enjoy that "paid in full" story. (The lady is back home now and doing great.)

Ciao,

Breanna

P.S.
What is a caboodle?