7.30.2006

Giving Thanks

Today was one of those days when I was reminded of the old adage "You don't know how much you appreciate something until you don't have it anymore" (or something like that!). Here on the east coast it's been nearly 100 degrees every day this week. And today was no exception. Instead, the exception for today was no air conditioning at church. Take 500 hot and sticky people and put them in a hot and sticky high school auditorium for an hour and a half, and well, let's just say everyone's deodorant was pushed to the limit.

As I sat there fanning myself with our weekly bulletin, I began to consider why air conditioning is so important to me. I certainly didn't grow up in a household where air conditioning was a priority. Come to think of it, heat wasn't a real priority either, but that's another story! We didn't have air in our church auditorium when I was growing up, our school wasn't air conditioned, and I'm quite certain that air conditioning wasn't a "standard feature" in Pontiac Bonneville station wagons in the 70s and 80s, so I didn't even have the luxury of air while riding in the car. And, even in college, we did without AC in the dorms. So, I'm not sure when air conditioning became so important to me but today, as I sat in church fanning myself, grumbling, and trying to stay awake, I realized how very thankful I am for my air conditioned home, van, and church. I couldn't wait to get out of there and blast the AC on the way home.

Then came our closing song: "Jesus be the Center". As I belted out the final chorus, "Be the fire in my heart, Be the wind in my sails, Be the reason that I live-- Jesus, Jesus", I realized how much I have to be truly thankful for--and air conditioning probably shouldn't even make the list! I sure wasn't making Jesus the center of my thoughts this morning, and, in the overall scope of things, air conditioning really isn't all that important. I'm so thankful that my (frugal!) parents were faithful to their task and introduced me to the One who is the center of all things--Jesus. Thanks mom and daddy! Off to get a glass of iced tea and enjoy the couch in my AC!!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the record, it's "you don't know what 'ya got, till it's gone". Pontiac Bonneville's had AC, Toyota Corolla's did not.

Jen said...

Knew I could count on you Adam! Even if the station wagons had AC, did we ever use it? Would have used up gas, ya know??? Thanks for setting me straight!

Anonymous said...

At least YOU didn't have to get up vacuum the whole house, go outside to weed the garden, pushmow the lawn, come in and eat and then clean the kithcen...all without AC...like I did!

Anonymous said...

I don't think so Adam. Your worse memory was in the cold, remember the car door locks in the ice storm? AC wasn't needed then.

Anonymous said...

Who is Becky M?