Jury Duty and Sewage!

Last week was a Big Week around here. I had jury duty for the first time AND we had a disaster in the basement. I've been called for duty before, but I've never had to go because I had small children or was homeschooling. Most recently, I was called during the school year, and I probably could have gotten out of it again, but my husband said I could defer it online to a better date,  so I chose Tuesday, the first weekday of Summer Vacation.

Normally, I'm on standby and call the night before to find out if I need to appear. This time, I had to go and was in Group 1. Many of the jurors I conferred with agreed that if you use the website and defer your service to a convenient date, you have really just let the Court know that you ARE available and they WILL call your name for the voir dire process!

I was paneled for the jury and had a very interesting 4 days learning lots and lots about what to look for when buying property, water runoff, creeks, and, best of all, sewage backups. The whole process was fascinating and educational, tedious and exhausting, and I wouldn't mind doing it again (after a nice, long rest) (and because I don't have a paying job, so, unlike many of my fellow jurors, I wasn't losing vast amounts of money by serving!).

You know what the unexpected blessing from this jury service was? Because of "recent events," as I told my husband (since I couldn't tell him about the trial), I was inspired to look further for the cause of the basement toilet overflowing, and I discovered the sump pump had stopped working and the utility room was flooded with an inch of dirty water that was starting to seep out into the next room.

Fortunately, I looked, because, unfortunately, we had moved many, many boxes of books and other items down to the basement in preparation for new floors upstairs. All of those had to be moved to safety, and some had to be unpacked because that carpet and padding is the Quicker Picker Upper! I got to leave for court while leaving my dear husband to contend with the plumber (Norm!). At the end of the day, we had a new sump pump (which my civic service does not cover the cost of!), and we tore out all the carpeting the water had touched---one large room, the hallway, and part of a bedroom. The basement is a complete disaster with boxes and stuff piled everywhere.

I'm pretty sure I won't get to do the sewing projects I had planned this summer. Lack of time is one thing; lack of access to my sewing room is another. No sewing, no ironing. No grown children visiting and sleeping in the basement. :-(  I think this is the Summer of Home Renovations and Decluttering.

Sometimes, I want to cry when I think about it, but it's really fine. It's all good. Nothing was damaged that is vital or irreparable. It's all just stuff which we have too much of. It's the amount of work that overwhelms me, if I think about it, but I just won't do that. I'll just do the next thing that needs to be done----choosing paint colors for the living room?----praying?----because it's really all about doing whatever God asks in the moment. Sometimes, that's mopping up nasty water and letting go of the desire to do your own will.

Don't Look at Me; I'm not in Charge!

It has been a long week---one of those weeks where you're busy, but it's doable, and then things happen and your perfectly timed plan goes to pot.  

For instance, on one busy day, I had it all planned out, all my comings and goings in the car.  We had just bought a tie out for the puppy to spend some time in the backyard (because he likes to be out so much that he's constantly ringing the bell, asking to go out!).  I was out there with him on an important phone call, and I watch the dog throw up a dozen times in 15 minutes!  Thank goodness he was outside, but then I had to work in an expensive vet visit on my already full day.  (And he's fine; he seems to have eaten flower bulbs which are generally toxic, and I don't know how or where he got them.)

I want to tell you what happened that evening, but it doesn't seem fair to everyone involved. Suffice it to say it was a huge lesson in humility for me, far more difficult to bear than messing up while cantoring at Mass (which happened last night!).  I'm not the only one sick about what happened, but it's my behavior I have to be concerned with.  

I've apologized; I've been to confession; I've been praying lots of prayers of "God, help me." You know, when you don't even know what you're supposed to do next, and He has to lead the way?

And in the end, I'm not sure what will happen, but I see people being hurt no matter what, and a group of people I love torn apart by unnecessary division.  It's not me and my behavior that's going to cause the division, but the issue at hand.  I don't know what to do.  I am in charge, but very much not in control.  

It's a good thing today is Sunday and there's yet another opportunity to go to Mass!  What do you do when these things happen in your life?  I'd love to know what I can do better!