What am I thankful for this Christmas? My water heater went out. No, seriously!
I was out caroling last night and Terri texted that the water would not get hot. When I returned home close to nine I did some checking and found that the pilot light was out and upon trying to light, it would not stay lit. I have more experience with electric water heaters, so I did a little internet investigation to find that the most likely culprit would be the thermocouple. A little cleaning and position should do the trick. I took the guts out and made my repairs to no avail. Still no sustainable pilot light. I stated to Terri something like, “I guess I know what I’ll be doing all Christmas Eve! It is always weekends and holidays when something like this happens. You can’t get a repairman on Christmas and who wants to go without hot water for four days until Monday!”
I decided to get an early start on it today. I made the trip to Home Depot to see what parts they had available. I was prepared to just replace everything if I had to. While I was driving the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Isn’t it nice to have hot water.” It dawned on me how insignificant my suffering was. A quick search reveals that 60% of the world still does not have adequate indoor plumbing. No running hot water ever. I often thank God for His provision and blessings in my life. I don’t think I have ever said, “Thank you for hot water.” My blessings are even deeper than I realize.
As I continued to Home Depot I prayed, “Lord I know that you have gone before me to provide what I need.” $20 of parts and an hour later a flame was burning under my tank. It did not ruin Christmas Eve. If anything, it made it better.
