Whatever it was that King Midas had going on, we seem to have the opposite problem around here. Lately everything we've touched has turned to garbage. It was almost comical when we made a list of the broken things around our home that need immediate attention. Stuff that wasn't supposed to break - like my new talking globe, plumbing that passed with flying colors in the home inspection, our bathroom floor (which has rotted out), the bricks around our fireplace, 2 seatbelts in our Camry, and - last but not least - my Oreck vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner was on its way out for a while. It was spitting more out the back than it took in, and the burning rubber smell hinted that its end was approaching. One morning, it sucked its last, and I told Stephen that I simply couldn't go another day without a functional vacuum cleaner. In addition to the piles of crumbs and playdough that were accumulating, three of us were having fits of sneezing (thanks to the dust in our carpets).
We had heard wonders about the Oreck Wind Tunnel and headed to Wal-Mart to buy one on credit (No amount of careful saving could cover the financial setbacks we've had these past few months).
Anyway, Wal-Mart was out of the vacuum cleaners. We consoled ourself with a cart load of 39 cent school supplies, pretending it was worth our while to stand in those intollerable lines for a lifetime supply of crayons.
The next place we tried was Linens and Things. By this point I was so stressed out (and exhausted from sneezing) that I volunteered to stay in the car with the kids while Stephen checked out the vacuums. Within minutes, the kids and I spotted him through the window with a massive box! We practiced our "Daddy's our hero!" cheer as we watched him approach the car. Two older women were on his heels, chattering away with him as if they'd found their long lost grand-nephew. Yes, he had been successful all right. There was my brand new, shiny Oreck Windtunnel!
Stephen's smile revealed that the best news was yet to come! Not only was the vacuum marked down $50, but (while he was standing in line) those two little ladies asked him if he could possibly use an extra coupon they were carrying - an additional 20 percent off! We were so excited and thankful for this small reminder that even the most insignificant details of our lives don't escape God's notice.
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