Dressed in old worn clothes and bearing a bag of rags, Bruce and I arrived in Ankeny today. Our daughter Brook and her husband Brent had moved into their new home the day before and had a long list of projects to complete.
The kids had got a great deal on the foreclosed home. It was in a great neighborhood, had a good school nearby and the floor plan was perfect for their family of five. The down-side was that the home had been poorly cared for by the previous owner. The cost for the new carpet was $1000 over the estimate they were given. After 4 hours and a second trip to Home Depot for extra parts to get the granite kitchen sink installed without success, the guys declared that the "easy installation" the manufacturer's directions promised was an out and out lie! The pedestal sink in the powder room had a leak, they discovered a crack in the bottom of the kid's upstairs bathtub and the previous owners four kids didn't leave a single wall untouched with their grimy hands and art work!
Our grandson Caiden, 7 was having a migraine and Chloe, 6 was getting a little bored with her Little's Pet's Shoppe set-up in the new toy room. I was drenched in sweat and smelled of Clorox, Brent and his brother had taken a trip back to their former house to get another load of stuff and Brook and her mother in-law were shopping for a new bed for Caiden and a chandelier for Chloe's room. Bruce and Paul were taking turns under the kitchen sink trying to get the blasted plumbing to work and Kensley, age three was sliding down the open staircase having a wonderful time.
We later found her lying on her back in the bare family room, legs in the air, "reading" a Disney Princess Yahtzee game instruction booklet. When she felt hungry, we found her sitting contentedly on a bar stool eating dry Honey Grahams cereal in a styrofoam bowl with a plastic fork from Papa John's. She had her pink shoes on the wrong feet, and one of her two ponytails had headed off to greener pastures. She was proud of her new room with the mattress still on the floor and boxes piled about and she eagerly took four trips up and down the staircase to carry plastic hangers to her bedroom from the front room.
Kensley was one contented girl.
As adults, we all commented on how beautiful the house would be after some hard work, and investments were made for improvements. But as far as Kensely was concerned, the house was already a castle.
Most adults spend their lives striving to discover contentment without realizing that they had discovered it at three.
My prayer today is to rediscover the lost treasure of my childhood ~ contentment.
Grace. Peace and Contentment,
~ Tami
"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"
The Word of The Lord
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