December 27: I Know, Water Line, Christmas Night

Even then I was supposedly writing a book about Dresden.  It wasn't a famous air raid back then in America.  Not many Americans knew how much worse it had been than Hiroshima, for instance.  I didn't know that, either.  There hadn't been much publicity.

I happened to tell a University of Chicago professor at a cocktail party about the raid as I had seen it, about the book I would write.  He was a member of a thing called The Committee on Social Thought.  And he told me about the concentration camps, and about how the Germans had made soap and candles out of the fat of dead Jews and so on.

All I could say was, "I know, I know, I know."

Okay, this little passage reminds me of a few things.  No matter how bad my life may seem, it really isn't that bad.  I have never had to fight in a war.  I live in a country where dictators don't exist (sort of).  Genocide is not a thing of the past, but I don't have to worry about being dragged out of my bed and executed for my beliefs.  Yet.  I am pretty lucky.

I have had to remind myself of this fact several times today.  My water line was frozen again this morning.  With a little prayer, and about 40 minutes of my kitchen faucet running, I was able to restore water to my bathroom.  Then my wife and I went to work.  When I got home this afternoon, my bathtub faucet was frozen again.

While I know this isn't a life-or-death problem, I'm getting a little weary of worrying about it.  Tomorrow, a plumber is coming out, hopefully to insulate the pipes or blow the house up.  Either way, the issue will be handled.

Things like this humble me.  I was feeling pretty good about my life on Christmas night.  I was tired but comfortable.  Then, I woke up on December 26, and I have been struggling ever since.  God has a way of taking you down a couple pegs when you think you're on stable ground.  It's like He knocks on the door and says, "Guess who?"

So, forgive me if I'm feeling sorry for myself.  Can't help it tonight.  I know that I am still pretty blessed.  Healthy kids.  Healthy wife.  Food in the fridge.  Heat in my house.  And, as of two hours ago, clean running water.

Saint Marty is thankful this evening for drinking water.