Hello 1984 bathroom. It is time. The husband and I ignored it for a long time. This is our kids bathroom and also our guest bathroom. The floor right in front of the toilet was...let's say...caving in. Literally. I had been home a hot second from Belize when the contractor showed up. The price he quoted made me sick. Did we have it? Yes. Could I spend it on a bathroom. No. I had seen worse than my bathroom.
The being a good steward of our money sounds so grown up and hokey. But it is true. I called my husband and said, "I have terrible news. You know how we discussed we didn't have time to do the bathroom ourselves? And how it was worth paying someone? Well I cried with the contractor. And you and I will be doing the bathroom. I could go get a baby with that money. I could buy a car." So that night my husband of 12 years knew that he would be ripping out cabinets and working for what seems like months on end to redo the falling in bathroom.
It is a very slow process. I am a hurry up girl. He is a planner and precise boy. I have learned so much about him and our marriage in this process. I don't encourage all couples to take on a job this big but for some of you, I would say go for it! First, you learn to pray about everything. Really. The night we hung beadboard I thought this is a terrible idea. He would ask, "is your side straight?" Then he would look and say, "no it's not!" I was scared to death. I would pray out loud. I would leave the room and pray. I would tell him to pray. I was trying to hold a very heavy piece of beadboard in place all while he held a very loud nail gun above my head. Secondly, this has taught me trust. Trust. Nothing says trust like a nail gun at your head or a saw coming towards your hand. When my husband has me hold a board as he runs a circular saw directly towards me, I choose trust over fear. Trust that God put you together for a reason. If I hurried through it and he took months to plan we would be a hot mess alone by ourselves. Trust in God's sovereignty. Lastly, it has taught me the dreaded word...patience. Ugh! We have one toilet right now. One bathroom. Four people. Oh, how spoiled am I? You see I have friends that I can name with no inside running water or toilet. I know children that run and jump over sewer that runs straight from their home. I can deal with one toilet.
I didn't decide to redo our bathroom because I wanted a strain on our marriage. I did it because we are spoiled and I know it. I did it because I need to be uncomfortable. I need to remember what I have seen. I need to remember who I fell in love with on a crunchy dirt road in the hot summer. I need to remember that my money, my bathroom, and my choices all matter. My marriage takes work. Hard work. When my husband looks at me through his safety goggles and gives me a high five when something fits...He gets the glory. When a friend who has a daughter battling cancer comes over to help in the bathroom construction...He gets the glory. When my family of four is crowded into one bathroom getting ready...He gets the glory. When I host a home group gathering and the old toilet is on our side porch...He gets the glory. When I give up the American dream of perfect...He gets the glory.
And when we get done...He gets the glory.
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