just when you think you're making it ...

I've been grateful recently that, in what feels like an incredibly debt-ridden, not-so-wealthy stage of our lives, some expensive things that could go wrong with the house(s) we own, haven't. And then I feel anxious for having thought that, as if I'm going to jinx us. And then I feel as if I lack faith for worrying about 'jinxing us,' and not relying more on God's provision, regardless of circumstances. And then I remind myself that God's not the one who decided to take on some of the debt we have. So why would I pin anything on Him, anyway?

The basement -- which, as most of you probably know, we just 'recovered' from Matt's dad last month -- is one of those things I'm anxious about. It seems like a lot could go wrong with the lowest point of one's house. The homes in our neighborhood, to my knowledge, have either a basement or a crawl space. So it's rather important for that pump to keep workin', because we all know the nightmare of flooding in a home.

It hasn't rained recently, so imagine my surprise when my foot lands with a *squish* on the basement carpet at the bottom of the stairs. Okay, who spilled something??? Must've been water, because I don't see a discoloration on the carpet. But then I looked a little closer, and realized, with a sinking feeling (figuratively), that the moisture was coming from underneath.

That was Sunday -- right before we had guests coming by, no less -- and we still don't know what's up. Matt and his brother have pulled back the carpet and are trying to keep the carpet and pad dry with towels and a dehumidifier, and Matt's planning to tear into the wall tonight or tomorrow in the hope that it's a broken pipe, and not a crack in the foundation. Which, need I say, would be catastrophic? I don't even want to think about the expense/effort/sacrifice that would be required in that instance. As Matt put it, "we wouldn't have a basement any more."

Here's what it looks like in that corner right now:


Here's hoping it turns out to be something relatively minor. And relatively cheap.