Vacuum Trials

We put a vacuum on our wedding registry (I did zero research on different brands or models and just zapped one). We received said vacuum from one of Sean's relatives. It's not the best vacuum in the world, but it works worked adequately. Recently, the belt broke-- a pretty common part to break and pretty easy part to order. Sean hopped online and ordered a new one (yay, he's wonderful). It arrived, several weeks later. Sean installed it (he's extra wonderful). I started vacuuming.... and not only did the belt break again, but something happened to get the roller bar off track somehow and the end melted, so now the roller bar will NEVER roll again. I'm sure that part can be replaced, but it would mean several more weeks of dirty carpet, which already has not been vacuumed for several months. Since Caleb spends a fair amount of time very close to the carpet, I want to make sure it's reasonably clean.

It's gotten to the point where I feel like I just can't stand it anymore, so today I called my friend Christina from church, one of the few friends of ours who lives close to us out here in Falcon! She gladly let me come by and borrow their vacuum-- a Kirby!  Now those things are quality. Expensive to buy, but quality cleaning machines.... I vacuumed Caleb's room first, since he needed to go down for a nap soon (this is thrilling, I know, but believe me, it is going somewhere); then I moved on to the living room. I vacuumed about half of the rug... and decided to move the couch, like I'd been wanting to for some time. I moved the couch, and for whatever reason decided to vacuum the master bedroom before finishing the living room. When the master was about 3/4 done, I noticed a funny smell, the machine sounded different, and the green light on the head was dark. Great. Well, I looked online to troubleshoot, and one of the suggestions was to make sure the brush bar was moving. It wasn't... aha! I started cleaning out the hair (why all the gory details? puh-lease! well, it'll make the punchline better. Hopefully.) and noticed this vacuum's belt was not quite broken all the way through, but very much "frayed" and "deteriorated," like the manual PDF online described. I'm definitely starting to feel a little weird-- what is it with me and vacuums lately? It has been pretty frustrating to not only live in a dirty house (one, I spend a lot of time here with Caleb, and two, as a homemaker it's almost a reflection of me as a person-- I should find my identity in Christ, not in how well I complete my to-do list or how clean my house is-- still working on that) but also to go through two different vacuums, for the same reason. And to break someone else's vacuum, after they were kind to let me borrow it... yikes.

Each time a vacuum has broken, thwarting my intentions, I have reminded myself, okay, this is nothing in light of eternity. But it is still frustrating, and I believe it is okay to call it a "trial." Not all trials have to be earth-shattering. Some are simply annoyances that impede us, things that make life a little more difficult, a little less smooth. I am learning to "count it joy" and be thankful for what I do have: an incredible husband; a "gigglebuns" son who is a joy; a comfortable home; paid-off, dependable cars; two sets of amazing parents; and so much more.

And..... my incredible husband okayed the purchase of a used Kirby I found on Craigslist for.... $150. About what we'd pay for a new vacuum, but not a regular Hoover or Eureka, a Kirby. (I am still getting over my crush on Kirbys.) It works great! And I am a happy camper, who actually likes vacuuming, now that I can.

So if you have to stand in a long line, or people at work annoy you, or your car (or vacuum!) breaks down, try to think of all the ways God has blessed you. You should be able to come up with quite a few things! I have found it's a great way to adjust my perspective.