A Surprising Reason To Be Thankful For Others

Something has been happening in a small group of friends which has given me something to be thankful for that I did not expect.

I direct a small part of a kids club at church called awanas. My class is the kindergarten class, it is a fun and easy class to teach and I have been doing it so long that a lot of it has become rote for me. We have a few teenage helpers who come; some are there really trying to serve God and the kids, but I am sure one or two are there because their families pressure them into going since their younger brothers or sisters are attending the club.

All these youth helpers are a wonderful bunch of kids.

I have tried to do things to build community and relationships in our little team.
     * I have given each one of them extra responsibilities.
     * I have challenged them to become more mature in their leadership.
     * I have tried to organize a few social opportunities so we can just get together and have fun.

The idea of doing something together just for fun is new for me, it is a reach beyond just going and "Doing Awana Club."

I wanted to focus on building relationships in and among the team because I have come to see that a church ministry or service project without relationships is only a program, but when you focus on relationships you can do much more and it goes far beyond that particular event or project.

Teenagers normally congregate in little groups and natural divisions occur based on interest, background, and stuff like that. But as we try to focus on a relationship-based ministry I have begun see the divisions are melting and the youth team is becoming united. They are getting along and they all are looking for each other.

I am surprised at how much I am enjoying seeing relationships grow and friendships begin in our club.  I am thankful that God opened my eyes to the possibilities of a relationship based ministry. I am thankful to see the youth on my team smile at each other and look forward to being together.

I am thankful not because I am getting something out of it like a reward or payback but because I know it is important and good. I am thankful to see their friendships happen and that I had a little part in it happening. I am thankful for what I have been learning about serving God and the community through this experience.

© Adron 3/4/18

Thankful For The Young Teacher.

Our church has a club called Awanas. It is a club for kids to come and have fun while learning about God and the plan of salvation.

One of the goals is not only to tell Bible stories and have the kids memorize Bible verses but to see everyone involved grow in faith and character.

There are many Youth who help in the club. We call them Leaders in Training. Recently I thought one of the youth should step up to take on more responsibility, so I asked her to teach a fifteen minute lesson on the Bible verse John 3:16.

When it was time for her to give the talk she stood up without hesitation or evidence of nervousness. She had a well thought out talk with questions, examples, and illustrations.  She had an engaging object lesson to illustrate the cleansing God gives the sinner who comes to him. The kids connected with her and I believe God's Holy Word was sown in tender hearts.

I believe I witnessed the first lesson taught by someone who will be a great teacher. I am grateful to be able to be one to offer this opportunity to someone who will I believe do great things for the Lord.

Why I am Thankful to be used of God

It is common to be thankful for the blessings we get in life such as health, home, food and the many basic needs we all have. Someone told me a bit of news today that caused me to feel very grateful- thankful not for something the Lord has given me but something that He has allowed me to do.

It starts with my other blog, (Coloring Pages For Kids By Mr Adron), where I post pictures that I draw which people can print off and give to kids that they may color. Many of the pictures are generic themes of dogs and cats, Aesop's fables, flowers, Bible verses and stories that I did for my church's kids club. I often wonder if anybody actually prints them and if my poor drawings are ever colored by kids.

A woman came up to me at church today and told me she had found my blog. She said she had been printing out the coloring pages and bringing them to an after school homework club that she is involved in. It is at a low rent housing complex and many of the children are from low income and struggling families. These children are coloring pictures that are telling them of God's love and the hope of the Gospel. These children do not get to go to church but they are getting God's Word.

I started blogging because I had hoped it would be a financial benefit, but I am grateful that it is used of the Almighty to do more than I ever thought it would. I am excited to think that God is using my humble efforts to plant eternal seeds in the hearts of His lambs.

You can see my blog at coloringpagesbymradron.blogspot.com. Print some and give them to the kids.

Thankful That God Caught My Mistake For Me

Yesterday on my job at the department store I did a major goof up.

The cash register computer has a screen that tells several things at the end of each transaction. One is the amount a customer saved with the discount program given to members of the store, shown in blue in the middle of the screen. Another is the change to be given back and it is shown in red. My mistake was to read the wrong set of numbers as the change. The customer saved twelve dollars but his change was supposed to be two dollars. I gave him twelve dollars instead of the two.

I began to ring up the next customer and the man I gave too much money came back and told me my mistake.

If he didn't I am sure the till audit would be ten dollars off and I would be in trouble. It all comes from being too much in a hurry and not paying attention; not to mention it was the second job since I already worked eight hours at the grocery store earlier that day.

I thank God that this man was honest and had the integrity to come and give the money back. I am sure it saved my job.  It just reminds me what a gracious God we have who is always watching out for us.

(c) Adron

Thankful for Another Person's Kindness.

The other day I was trying to get my art studio in order so I could make progress on some new projects and designs I am working on. I decided it would be helpful to stack some crates to make some shelves. I had a few and after about an hour got them arranged and things put in their places. It was not perfect- I needed about two or three more to make my design functional.

On my way home from my "honest job" at the grocery store I made the decision that I would bite the bullet and buy another crate. I normally would wait for a sale or a coupon but I was feeling if I didn't finish the organizing of my studio it would never be workable.

I reluctantly went to the store which sells the crafty stuff and found the unfinished crate used for folk art. It was not on sale and I didn't have a coupon so I was not happy about paying full price. I got in line and said a silent halfhearted prayer, something like, "Lord should I buy this or not?"

A moment later a woman came up the line asking people if they wanted a coupon for 40% off of one idem. I thought she worked there but she was a customer and had too many because the store would only let her use one on a purchase, so she was giving the rest away. "You are an answer to prayer," I told her as she gave me the coupon.

It was a little thing but I am grateful for it and that our God is the God of the little as well as the big. I am thankful that God hears my prayer no matter how weakly muttered. I am thankful that I can be confident of God being with me wherever I go.

Why I Am Thankful For An Indian Restaurant.

Today I had a morning off, and since my son was home from university, I wanted to spend a little time with him before I went to my evening job. I always feel that I do not get to spend much time with my kids. It is easy to say I'll get to it later, but if you keep waiting, later never comes, and the time is lost.

I was working at my desk, and he asked if he could borrow the car. I thought that he would be gone all day, and the hoped-for time together would be lost. He wanted to go to a hobby shop to get something of interest.

"OK." I said, I just need to get to work tonight at five."

"I'll just go now," he said, and I gave him the car key feeling sad at another missed opportunity to be together.

A minute later, I got an idea.

"Hey..." I called down, "The Taste of India restaurant is next to the store, why don't we go together and then we could have lunch at the restaurant."

"Sure," he said, "I haven't eaten, yet I could go for some lunch. Let's all go." and he went to get the other boys.

I have never been to that particular restaurant, but I know he likes vegan food, and I am open to eating anything that doesn't move too much on the plate.

The hobby shop was a quick stop. We went inside the restaurant and had a delicious meal together and talked about a lot of things. The Indian food was delicious and was an all-you-can-eat buffet which my boys kept visiting. It was just the time together I was hoping for.

I believe that God put the idea in my head to suggest the restaurant; I think he had it planned all along.

I am grateful that he is still open to spending time, and I am thankful to have had a "guy" meal with my boys.

(c) Adron 12/17/13

Why I Am Thankful To Get Off Work A Little Early Today.

Normally I work at the grocery store until three or four every day. I was sorry when I found out that my son was going back to college on a flight that left at 4 PM and I would not be able to get to see him off. Even if I was to get off of work at three he would have already left, in fact he would have to be at the airport at three to give time for all the check in and security.

I looked at my schedule a few days ago and noticed what looked like an error because my schedule said I was to be off at 1:45 PM today instead of three or four. I thought it must be a mistake and will be corrected by the time I started work this morning, but when I clocked in today I checked the schedule and found that instead my schedule remained unchanged and I was still slated to punch out at 1:45. Now it was time to ask my supervisor, and was advised the hours were cut throughout the store to accommodate end of quarter accounting.

At 1:45 PM I clocked out and was able to surprise my daughter with a ride home from school as well as being able to ride with my son and wife to the airport and see my son depart on his way back to college.

I was especially thankful since I'm working two jobs, (almost all cashiers do), and I was not able to spend much time with my son on his visit home. It was a small thing but an important thing.

The early day even allowed my wife and me to do a little bit of shopping together.

I do not believe circumstances like this are just coincidental but I believe the hand of the Almighty who loves those who seek him has arranged these events with the purpose of giving little blessings. I am grateful for a Loving Heavenly Father.

 (c) Adron Dozat 12/2/13

Does Thankfulness Help Communion With God?

Coming  home from work I looked around at the beautiful autumn day with the blue sky, the crisp air, and the colorful trees; I thought to myself, "What a beautiful day it is." It was a beautiful day the kind that only comes once a season.

The further I went the more I admired the bright yellows and golden hues of the leaves in contrast to the blue sky. The road was covered with rust and gold leaves and sheltered by the cool shadows of the trees.

"Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day." The words came spontaneously without ceremony or preparation. I didn't know that I was going to say them- I just said them. Over and again I was moved to words of gratitude that I did not expect to say; the only preparation was the fact that it was indeed a beautiful day and I was thankful for it.

There are times when we willfully and as a matter of moral rightness decide to be thankful. It is a good practice to set aside times for thankfulness, like the beginning and ending the day. The practice of thankfulness is a discipline and the trait of a disciple. There are other times when gratitude is inspired by the present hand of The Lord.

I hope to become more responsive to God's works and give thanks with as much ease as one eats or breaths. I hope that thankfulness will be my first reaction to blessings and His workings in my life; and that my days will be fully punctuated with frequent declarations of thanks to The Lord, and not just the routine performance of thankful words at prescribed times.

The experience and practice of spontaneous thankfulness to The Almighty is the result of a life of communion with The Lord, where His hand moves in some way and we thank Him for it. We cannot perceive or understand God in the same way as other relationships but thankfulness is a way of punching a small hole in the darkness of our ignorance and seeing His wonder.

Thankful For A Break In The Rain.

We have had a very rainy October. I ride a bike to work, and I do not like to ride a bicycle in the rain. I do not like the cold, the wet, or the feeling of danger.

On several occasions, I have looked at the hourly weather report to see rain forecast. With resolution and a prayer for God's mercy I set out, only to encounter a mist or light drizzle. Then once at work, I listened to the downpour as oceans of water danced on the roof and flooded the gullies.

After work, I was set to go out in the deluge and find myself only under cloudy skies with a few raindrops here and there.

I feel God on these occasions was watching and protecting me. Sometimes he blesses us with deliverance and this week held several of those times.

There was only one day that I was caught in the heavy rain; God gave his grace to endure and protection on the road. The heavy rain was at the end of my ride and I was able to change to dry clothes.

I am thankful for all those circumstances; some may say there was good and bad but I feel God was in them all and watching over with grace in all.

(c)Adron Dozat

Thankful For Being Unhurt In An Accident.

I am a very safe driver but not everyone else is, so I always watch out for the other guy. I was doing just that- looking to the right merge lane at an intercession with a very limited merge lane when a driver coming on the left slammed into my car.

Even though there are many complications to the situation I am thankful for many others.
     * No one was hurt.
     * The emergency services were on the scene within minutes.
     * There was no traffic on the road to interrupt or add extra danger.
     * I was able to drive away.
     * It was on my way home from work not on my way to work.
     * It was only three blocks from my house.

I am thankful that the Lord was watching over me. I believe I began that day like many others with a prayer asking His protection and guidance. I wonder if I had not asked God that morning for protection if the collision would have been worse and involve serious injury. I believe in God, I believe He watches over us and I believe He answers prayer. So all my gratitude is directed to the Almighty.

There are complications with insurance and repairs and transportation for me and my family but I believe that God has blessings in store as we stay faithful to him through these issues.

Why I Am Thankful When The Car Broke Down

The kids needed my car and my wife was using the family van, so for the last week I have been driving a car on loan from my wife's sister. It is an old car and she hasn't driven it for a while. She was not sure what to do with the car and it has a history of breaking down.

I was on my way to work in the borrowed car going over a little rise in the narrow road when the dash lights came on and the engine went off. I coasted to the little bike lane and sat.  The thing would not start up.

It was a quart low on oil and I wondered if it had some sensor that caused the engine to shut down to protect it from damage due to the low oil. There was a market about four blocks back so I walked to the market and bought some oil.

While returning to the car I heard someone call my name. It was an acquaintance I knew who shopped at the grocery store I worked at. He was driving by and spotted me. He stopped to help.

After adding the oil the car still refused to start.  We both thought it sounded like it was out of gas, but it had been filled up only a couple of days ago, and still had three quarters of a tank.

"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" He asked. I told him where I lived and that I would like to get my son and come back with the other car and arrange for the tow truck. We actually had a nice ride and a nice talk about family, town and local history. I couldn't thank him enough when we got to my home.

My son and I returned to the car about thirty minutes later. I was afraid I would see it as the cause of a wreck since it was a narrow lane where I left it but God must have set an angelic guard to deflect cars.

We tried again to start the car but it wouldn't start. A call to the auto club had a tow truck on the spot in ten minutes.  While the tow truck driver was attaching the car to the truck a van pulled up and inside it was a woman waiving at me. At first I thought she was with the tow truck, like a supervisor or something. I walked up to her and she turned out to be another acquaintance; she said, "I know you, you work at the grocery store. Is everything all right? Are you OK?"

"Yes" I replied, "The tow truck will take the car and my son is here with my other car."

"You don't need anything? I saw you and came back in case."

"No, I am fine. Thank you." I felt glad for the lady to stop and check on me.

The auto club allows free towing for the first four miles. My mechanic was five miles and it turned out that last mile cost four dollars. I happened to have eight dollars in my wallet- this is unusual since I rarely carry cash. I was able to pay the driver and give him extra for his good service. I felt grateful to have a little for a tip.

Later at home I thought about all the ways the Lord was watching over me.
     * The car was safe even though it was in a narrow busy road.
     * I felt touched that two people in the same morning stopped in their day to kindly offer help.
     * The Tow truck was only ten minutes away.
     * I happened to have the money to give the tow truck guy and a little extra for a tip.
I believe the Lord watches over us in our problems and he has ready solutions. Sometimes the solution is endurance to go through it or sometimes it is deliverance like today.

The auto repair shop called and advised the problem was fuel sensor.

Why I am Thankful for the Dentist

Most people agree that going to the dentist is not an appointment they look forward to. I have been in the chair many times and have had numerous fillings and other procedures. So going to the dentist makes me think, "Here we go again; needles, and pain that you have to pay money for.

My loving wife scheduled an exam and cleaning on my behalf. I saw it on the calendar with alarm and have looked at the calendar with askance ever since. The day arrived in spite of my best attempt to put it out of my memory. I thought I would contrive some reason to cancel but didn't know what was worst- facing the dentist or facing my wife who would be hurt that I slighted her care for my dental well-being. So considering the lesser of the two evils I showed up for the appointment on time. 

Like most Americans, I go for my yearly cleaning and exam every five or six years. I knew I was in for it.  The dentist gently took x-rays that showed immediately on the computer monitor, he carefully moved the mirror around my mouth and with a probe prodded my gums and teeth. "I'm sure my mouth is full of cavities," I confessed. "Nope no cavities," he replied. "But you are brushing too hard, use a soft brush." He then showed me how I needed to improve my brushing so I will not wear out the enamel. Who would have thought? I figured I was not doing too good a job and it turns out I was actually doing too good a job! 

I am thankful that I do not have any cavities or problems. I am thankful to learn ways of improving my brushing. I am most thankful for my good wife who cared enough to schedule the appointment for me.

(c) Adron

Why I am Thankful for the night sky.

Last night I was wandering around the internet and I came to a link about astronomy, it said that at dusk the planet Venus would be its brightest all year and it would be easy to see since it would be near the moon. Since it was almost dusk I looked outside and I felt God was with me and saying, "Let's just take a look shall we?"

So I went out and looked up and there was the moon and next to it a bright point of light- Venus! I climbed to the top of the hill behind my house where the school playing field is and from the center of the field gazed at the scene in the sky as night fell. It was truly beautiful.

I marveled at the blessing of finding out by accident of the rare sight and the timing that was perfect to view it. God's creation is beautiful and I worship him for it with thanksgiving.

The stars began to come out and as each one did it pondered the vastness of creation and therefore the even greater vastness of Him Who Created.

I wondered if The Heavenly Father could do such marvels in the night sky what can He do in the lives of those who love him and are willing to be used. (c) Adron

Why I Am Thankful We Needed a Repair Guy Come

The cable network we use for media and internet was acting up. The lights on the router box would flicker or go off and we would not have service for a while. It was frustrating since we are online all the time for work and communication.

My wife called the cable company and they scheduled a guy to come this morning and service it. Early this morning I read my Bible and spent some time in prayer where I sought God's guidance for the day as always.

The cable guy came on time, and began to work diligently on the cable. He was here about an hour. During the time he was here I got the feeling I should find a couple of dollars to give the guy as a tip. I always admired and respected people who do that sort of thing. Besides it is a small but practical way of saying thank you.

I found a crumpled up five in my wallet. I never carry money and remember that it was strange that last week I put it in there; now I believe God was preparing the opportunity to witness his love and grace to this man. I saw a box of Gospel booklets that I bought some time ago and stamped with our church address.

As the man was gathering up his tools outside I gave him the tip and the booklet with a hearty thank you for his good work.

I pray the young man reads the booklet and receives Jesus' love and salvation in his life. I believe that the Lord caused the cable to go bad because he was arranging an appointment for the cable guy to be exposed to the gospel. I am grateful to be used of the Lord to share his message of hope to another.

Why I Am Thankful For The Test.

Where I work every six months we have to take a different test. I guess it is to make sure we are complying with regulations and that we know our jobs. Each associate must pass the test with a 95% or better but some test must be 100%.

I do not take test well. I always freeze up, I question my answers, I over analyze the questions and start to read things into them that may not be there. I worry because if I do not pass I must retake the test after 24 hours and keep taking it until I pass.

I was not aware this morning as I was sitting on the edge of my bed praying and asking God to watch over me, to guide me, and be my helper throughout the day that I would be taking two test at work, or else I would have gotten on my knees and really assaulted heaven with prayer.

The short morning prayer proved to be enough. In the training room, I sat at the console and brought up the test on the computer. I thought briefly, "Lord be my helper." I resolved to read the questions once only but carefully and trust my first choice. I do not know why but as I answered the questions I was thinking this is too obvious, these are too easy. At the end of each test I had a chance to review and change the answers but I just went ahead and hit submit. Each time the screen spun and stopped with "Perfect score 100%"

I am thankful for little things like passing a test because The Lord is my helper.

Why I Am Thankful For Mondays

Most people wake up on Monday morning and think, "Oh, too bad, the weekend is over and now the hard week begins again."

Sometimes I feel that way too. I feel that the weekend is a time of more quality or worth when I can pursue fun or recreation. Now Monday is here and I have to be a worker who labors at job, home life and community service- it is no fun.

WHOSE WEEK IS IT?
God has given me work as a blessing which many do not have. The blessing is not just to earn money but to know the one who gives the blessing better, in a sense God is in the blessing.

A week of work may present me with a lot of hard tasks but God will be there for each one. We think that we can't call on God for the little things but wait for some crisis before we cry out to him, but every little task of my workday is an opportunity for fellowship with the Creator. Each task offers me a test to partner with God in doing well at work and service.

RESOLVE
I am the same person no matter if it is Monday, Sunday or Wednesday. I have the same blessings no matter what day of the week it is. If I am living unto God each day the day does not change who I am.

I must remember to be thankful for Mondays; it is a commitment to do so because of a conviction that God wants me to be a thankful person.

I must remember each day is a gift no matter what day of the week it is. It is a gift prepared by God and a gift full of his purposes. If I embrace that gift I am embracing God's plan for me for that day.

 (c)Adron Dozat 7/1/13

Thankful for God's Protection.

We have a flat roof. It is a high roof so it is hard to get to. Because it is flat it has drainage problems. There is a drain at each end and the roof has a slight slope to them, but they get clogged up so the water stands on the roof and causes lot of problems.

SO
I borrow a very long ladder and climb on the roof two or three times a year and clean out the drains. This is a dangerous difficult climb.

UP
It took three of us to set up the ladder. The ladder was coming apart at the locks and the pulley rope keeps coming off the pulley and getting jammed. After about fifteen minutes we got it up.

SLOWLY
With a broom in one hand I reached up with the other and climbed the ladder. On each step I felt the ladder sway, and I was afraid it would fold and drop me. I prayed for God to protect me over and over as I climbed up. I made sure I had a good grip on each step before reaching up to the next. It took about two minutes to climb and I prayed the whole time. Finally at the top I could reach the edge and climb over.

JOB
The work needed to be done. I found the drain on one end totally clogged and the drain on the other half caked with leaves and dirt to cement like consistency.

DOWN
With more prayer I climbed down with the same fearful caution making sure of each step and hand hold. I looked down praying that the ladder would not collapse, and with great relief stepped off the bottom rung.

THANKFUL
I am thankful that The Lord was watching over me and protecting me from a potential accident. It is one thing when you are aware of a danger,then you are focused on God and asking for his care then. How often do we go along not aware of dangers? I am thankful that God has watched over me through them all.

Why I Am Thankful for a Mistake

My wife told me that the van was having trouble and she thought it was the battery since we have been warned by the mechanic that the battery was very weak. I agreed that the battery was a problem since twice in the last year we had to have it jump started. We decided that I would take the van and go to Sears for one of their famous batteries the next morning.

My wife checked on line and said the auto center at sears would open at 7:30 AM. I wanted to get there early because I was afraid that a long wait would make me late for work. In the morning the van started with a lot of hesitation and I worried that if it died on the way we would have to have it towed, but I was able to drop daughter off at high school and drive to Sears.

At 7:20 AM Sears was deserted. The parking lot was empty and the expected line of cars waiting to be serviced were nowhere to be seen. I drove to the bay where the cars enter the shop and parked.  Afraid that I would not be able start the van I left it running and walked up the customer entrance door; the sign on the door said they opened at 8.00 AM. I was forty minutes early.

I was not comfortable sitting there a long time with the motor running and I was afraid if I turned it off it would not start again. The place I was parked felt wrong, it was blocking the entrance and if the van died there it would make problems for the mechanics and other customers. So, I drove around the parking lot for a while listening to music, and taking a few moments to pray.

I kept track of the time since I didn't want to come to the auto center and find myself at the back of a long line. I asked God what to do and felt it was time to go back to the garage bay door. As I came up to it I saw that there were no cars waiting ahead of me. I was still first in line. As I drove up the drive to the bay doors three cars pulled in right behind me. If I arrived a moment later I would have been the forth car and would have had a long wait for service! I was grateful that I didn't lose my place.

We still had a fifteen minute wait for the shop to open. Without confidence the van would restart I turned the engine off. It was a long fifteen minutes- I kept imagining the van not starting and blocking the entrance with what was a growing line of waiting customers at the service center.  I kept asking God to let the engine start.

When the service technicians came out they asked for the key. I gave it to them saying, "I hope it starts. The batter is almost dead." "I'm sure it will be fine," he replied and got in and turned the key. The engine sputtered to a start. I felt that the Lord was saying, "Why were you worried about a little thing like that when I am in control?"

I am thankful that The Lord of All is in control.

Thankful for Help

Once a week I volunteer to help at a kid's club at church. It is rewarding as well as fun. Any organization that is manned by volunteers is going to have staffing issues. This week was a semi holiday since it was spring break for the local schools, and many families were out of town. One key couple already advised me they would be going away, and I suspected other adult leaders would be gone. I was concerned during the week that we would have a lot of kids and not enough adults to have a meaningful club meeting. I prayed about it several times.

I arrived early and began to get ready by rearranging the furniture in the room for the kids to have Bible class, craft time, and puppet theater. After a few moments a church member entered the room. He was someone I know and see often at church playing guitar on Sunday mornings leading in worship.  He said that he and his wife were going to be helping our club. They are both professional people and have long hours on their jobs, also they live about three quarters of an hours drive from the Church.

They dove right in and gave themselves wholeheartedly to serving the kids in tender ways. It was very touching and I felt very grateful for these two to give up so much of their time and at a sacrifice to come and sing songs with children, and help little ones with crafts and play games, so children will feel loved and learn about God's love.

Thankful For The Toilet Plunger

After dinner I was about to be the good husband and clean the dishes for my wife. The pots and pans were piled up as usual and the sink was full of plates. My personal standard operating procedure is to start with the sink.

I rinsed off the dishes and the pots then turned on the garbage disposal.

The garbage disposal is a marvel to me; when you turn it on the water surges in a roaring vortex and plunges itself down the gaping throat of the machine, but not this time. The machine made a gurgling moan and the water simply fluttered in the sink. It was clogged. My wife confessed to pealing a field of potatoes for dinner and sent the skins down the disposal earlier along with a crate of onion skins. This is dreadful news. I imagined the pipes filled with a cement like starch plug stretching to the water treatment plant.

I contemplated the actions to take, none were welcome thoughts. I could get a plumber to come and dismantle the myriad of plastic pipes and force a coiled steel snake into the mystery of where they all go. But the cost of a professional trained in the demolition arts was beyond our budget by hundreds of dollars. I could try to do it myself but that would probably take about a week and have dubious results. The last option was to buy some caustic stuff and dump it down the drain while wearing protective garments in the hope that the caustic would only eat the organic material and not the solder that is holding the house together.

I took a break and sat down at the desk and prayed for God's help, and after a while came up with an unforeseen solution, the plunger. I took the wooden handle of the plunger with two hands and poised like St George facing the dragon prepared myself to do battle with the sink. I eased it through the whitish water and set the red rubber mouth over the drain and pumped the ritual motions of plunging the sink.  Water splashed all over the counter, the kitchen floor and the wall across the room. I tried to use the plunger to suck and to push but gave up when my arms got cramped.

My wife gave it a try with no better luck. But a third time of plunging the water began to slowly slide down the drain like some Chicago eating slime from a movie in the 1950s returning to its radioactive cave. Feeling confident I ran more water into the sink. This second dousing of water sat like the first. I turned on the disposal and it just danced in the sink. My wife and I returned to the relay of plunging the drain. My fears that the drain would consume my life savings and precipitate a post midlife crisis returned. With renewed effort I gave determined single burst of plunging and sucking. Then movement as the water chased the former gallons down the drain.

Fearfully I ran the water and this lot seemed to be willing to do what water is supposed to do when splashing in a sink- it flowed down the drain.

I am thankful to have dodged the bullet of a major repair. We have examined the pipes and now know we need to be ready to do some work there but now we can plan on it and get ready for it.