Planting Mercy Church Week 7: Why are we shouting!?!

Setting: middle of the street. 2 cars pulled up beside eachother. Me in my car, wife in hers. kids in backseat of both.

Situation: Courtney & kids stayed with great friends in Raleigh, now driving back to charlotte to get ready for weekend w/ mercy church. Current temp in home: 98 degrees.

*Author’s Note: This took place on DAY 10 of no A/C and counting. (I am just going to NOT get into the debacle that is our A/C situation.)

 

Annnd Action:

Spence waves courtney down and says hes going to move some stuff around between the two cars to make room for a portable A/C unit he’s picking up in greensboro (apparently charlotte is all out) on the trek back. Courtney says no, because they already talked about that. Keep cars as is and lets go. Spence objects as the most LOGICAL action is to move the stuff around. He objects too loudly. Courtney counters in a raised voice. Spence gets out of car goes to van window, continues loud objecting. Courtney returns serve. Things get loud. kids start noticing. Angry adults regain perspective and quiet down like a silent volcano that started to erupt and got a lid put on it. Not good. return to cars with problem in spence’s stubborn mind unsolved. Drive on.

Ok so we had the loudest disagreement we’ve maybe ever had…over packing logistics!? Why? we were mad. Not at each other. just so frustrated at our nomadic situation and apparently both needed to vent. We were (and still are) tired of displacement, tired of mixed messages on the A/C solution, tired of being helpless. So we took it out on each other. And two perfectly sane grown adults were shouting in the street like crazy people.

Lessons?

• You really, truly, cannot control everything in life. There is no good reason we are on day 12 now of no A/C in our house.  I could have driven to the manufacturer (regardless of what state it is in) picked up the part, driven back, and hired out the repair in 6 days tops. But, to do that will cost me thousands in money I will not get back on a rental I wont be in this time next year. Though I continue to encourage the process along, it just isn’t up to me. And that kills me. I NEED CONTROL. And as a consumer, I’m right about my situation. But Oh how careful I must be that I don’t let my consumerism seep into the way I view God. Will I get mad when he doesn’t answer me on my time-table? Will I try to find other solutions since I am determined to keep control? yeah I just might, and how destructive would that be. While I may be able to improve an A/C repair process, I cannot improve the sovereignty of God. And my patience with this A/C thing isn’t magically going to grow when something bigger happens. Think God does not know about my A/C probs? I promise he does. Been telling him for days. Can I trust God in the small stuff like this? Cause bigger things will come.
• The Church is Awesome: can’t tell you how many people have put roofs over our head, loaned out A/C units, and just given us a hand with stuff. I preached what I thought was a mediocre sermon on Acts 2 this weekend about community and shared with Mercy Church how humbled I’ve been to be on the receiving end of such a generous church. without the church, I just dont know how we get through the past 11 days.
• Heat will make you crazy: I’m just saying. If you are a pampered 1st worlder like me, Don’t ever make any big decisions with your spouse in a 90+ degrees environment. Instead, love your wife, get her into a cool space. Drink something ice cold. wait 2 hours. Then talk.