30 Days of Answered Prayer: Day 1

Today is one of those answered prayers that may seem trivial to some, but meant a LOT to me. Today my answered prayer was almost the first thing that I experienced in my day (love when the day starts out that way). Yes, I got to take a hot shower!!!!! My first in a week!

Wait! Don't you live in the US? Don't you have hot water all the time? Well yes, and kind of. But no. I live in community at the YWAM base. This means other preferences and people matter in EVERY aspect of daily life, and there's frequently a need for compromise, and someone often gets the short end of the stick. Hot water isn't always set to get hot upstairs because it ends up burning the people downstairs who can't control the temperature of their showers (it's just a push button and water comes out!). Sometimes 20 other people took showers first. Sometimes two people took took a shower, but each for an hour. Not really, that hasn't happened, but you get the idea. And so, yes I live in the US, yes we have access to hot water, but no, I don't always get a hot shower when I want one. So why is it such a big deal? Why the answered prayer? Those who know me, know hot water matters in my life! I feel cold easily, I don't like being cold, and hot water is incredibly soothing to me when I'm sick or emotionally drained. A hot shower can alter my whole countenance! I should say at this point by the way, my showers haven't been cold this week....just luke warm :-) Anyway, last night, I went to use the downstairs bathroom to try and get a hot shower, but still with no joy. It was warm, but I still had goosebumps on my arms and legs while I showered and was shivering with teeth chattering as I got out. I wasn't feeling great and had actually gone to shower to help, so I ended up in my head trying to figure out ways I could get a hot shower....use the Grey House? Ask Anita to shower at hers? Go stay at a friend's apartment who is away for Thanksgiving? But then how would I get to the doctor's office for my shots? I came away shivering, but accepting I just needed to be thankful the showers aren't actually cold. I made myself tea and curled up in one of the many blankets I have (gifts from people who know and love me!) and, although pragmatic and focusing on being thankful for warm showers, I did say to Jesus that if I could have just one hot shower this week, it would be amazing. And then this morning, it happened! Hot water! I couldn't believe it when I put my hand in to check it had warmed up enough to step in, and found it was actually hot! My body appreciated it for sure, and so did my soul. Hot water is a gift, so whether it was an answered prayer that came supernaturally or from a change in the heating system that someone made, I started my day in an easier way, and for that, I give thanks. It's not world peace, it's not a cancerous tumor healed or a $100,000 bill cleared (that will be a later answered prayer!!!!!!). It's not really important, and warm showers in a clean bathroom inside a safe and secure home are definitely blessings many in this world don't have access to, so I know this is a little 'first world problems of me'. But, keeping it real, it selfishly and brattishly (if that were a word!) mattered to me today, and so I'm thankful for the answer 'yes'.