An Exercise in Gratitude

I find it hardest to be grateful for things when life's craziness leaves me without things.  Microwave, stove/oven, phone, heat, doorbell and other electronics.  Things I tend to find kind-of useful and necessary.   A crazy electrical situation that I can only describe as "mad-scientist-lab-type experience" left these things fried.  Popping sounds, buzzing electricity noise, a flash behind the stove, then burning electrical smell in the house.  The kids were freaking out and wondering if the house was going crazy (they were right).  So we grabbed our shoes just in case we needed to run then turned off the breakers and started making phone calls.    The cause of all this seems to be that when our wiring was put in somebody forgot to tighten all the screws and lug nuts in the electrical so everything was loose.  I don't claim to understand all this and the ramifications of loose wires, but I know when I see burn marks where there aren't supposed to be any that something is wrong.  We have heat again and are starting to figure the rest out.  I am trying to see the positive and see that really it will all sort itself out, which it will.  Today as we are warmer and my crockpot is at work for a warm dinner I feel very grateful for heat, a house that didn't burn down, and great help.  Our family home evening this week on counting our blessings has taken on a life of it's own.