My Corner Online

 

Bathroom Babbles 8, 9, and 10

 

*First published March 27, 2008

his toothpaste has been greeting me every morning for two weeks and totally irking me until I put it back out of site. Why does my hubbie do this? Really. He opens a new tube of toothpaste and starts using it before the old one is used. I've been using the old one for two weeks now and still getting paste out of it. I often wonder if I weren't here if partially empty containers of all sorts of supplies would just gather about the house. He does this with everything. He never throws out anything. Of course, it would be a waste to throw out good toothpaste, but he just doesn't want to use the end of the tube for some reason.


I just cannot get hubbie to clean up his act. This empty tube of paste is nearly dead. Why doesn't he continue to breath life into it?


It reminds me of how God probably looks at me. Why doesn't she clean up her act? She's nearly dead, why should I continue to breath life into her?


Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?"


I know hubbie's actions frustrate me, but I am reminded that I too sin and must frustrate God in the same way. Whenever others frustrate me, just turning my focus on what a horrible sinner I am helps to take that frustrations away. I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross to truly wash away all of my sins. Because I believe in what He did for me, I can know that I am clean. He could look at me as a hopeless case that would never get her act together, but instead He loves me and breaths new life into me daily. Isn't our God awesome?


Yes, this has turned into another issue in my series of Bathroom Babbles. If you haven't read them, you can find them here on my blog. I'm not sure why I gain such inspiration in my bathroom. There's humor in that. Maybe some day I'll have a mini book to publish.

 

*First posted January 20, 2008

. . . . . . .Then, I went to take a shower. I changed my mind after being in the warm water for a while and changed it to start filling the tub. You see, this fever has given me a headache (and I never get headaches) and every part of my body previously hurting has intensified, so my pelvic area (yes, too much information) and my wrist (which I hurt on on December 10th and refuses to heal) is now a constant pain. I guess my head couldn't hurt by itself.


I hollered and hollered for hubby so he could bring me some bubble bath to no avail. As it turns out, he's gone from the house. Where's the taking care of momma when she's sick?


So, I get out of the nice warm bath with my hot body and begin streaking across the floor with cold chills chasing up my spine to every part of my body.


When I returned to the nice warm water, it was much more welcoming and joyous having just experienced the frustrating chills.


It's been a while since my regular readers have had a Bathroom Babbles post to enjoy. However, as I was sitting in the tub enjoying my bath, I was thinking.


I was thinking about how God has us go through pain and suffering often before he blesses us through that pain with joy.


James 1:4 My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

See, I may being going through a bunch of trials today, but God is testing my faith. Am I turning to Him or am I just being grumpy? He reminded me in that nice warm bath that He will bless me even through my trials. If I had not been weary from being sick and running buck naked across the floor in my fat wet fevered body, then I would not have enjoyed that bath as much. Just when I needed a reprieve from enduring my pain, God gave me just what I needed. Oh, not the warm bath; but the reminder to turn to Him when frustrated and in pain.

 

*First posted 6/9/2008


I am always amazed at how my life seems to always come back to the bathroom! Are you ready for another edition of "Bathroom Babbles."


I just do not understand men. I'm not sure God intends me to, so I just have to learn how to be a better person through it all.


One of my favorite phrases is "Boys will be boys, and come to think of it, so will men!" It is SO true. It seems as if hubby is still a boy, especially when he changes his stories while talking to me as if he's in trouble and trying to say what he thinks will get him in the least trouble. Goodness, I'm his wife! Why not just tell me the truth!? I don't understand.


For several weeks we have been having trouble with our shower head not flowing well.

Last Wednesday night I indicated to hubby that since he was off on Friday, he could just put a baggie with vinegar in it on the shower head, secured with a rubber band. I had done it one day and not five minutes later a son came along and needed a shower. So, it was hubbie's turn since he could do it later in the day when it could sit for a longer period of time.


OF COURSE, men NEVER listen to their wives. I am not sure why. Is it because if they did what their wives said to do, that would mean they are admitting she is right and they could never do that? The next day I go to get into the shower and the part at the bottom of the head was completely off. It was even a worse shower than I had had for the past weeks. I immediately knew hubby had taken it off so that he could soak it in vinegar rather than putting a baggie on it like I said. Yes, boys always try to do things the easiest way which always ends up the hardest way. Keep reading to see why.


THURSDAY


ME: Why did you break the shower head off?


HUBBIE: So that I could put it in a bowl of vinegar.


(catch that? He admitted breaking it)


ME: Well, then you will just have to go buy a new shower head on Friday when you are off then. Maybe we will finally have a good shower.


FRIDAY MORNING


ME: (as I stare at a shower head that appears normal, but I know it cannot be because it is unfixable, I turn on the water and it falls out to the bottom of the tub) I see that you tried to fix this that you broke. I can see it is not fixable, you need to go get a new one today.


HUBBIE: I did not break it, it just fell out one day.


(catch that--his story changed--and I let him know it had changed)




FRIDAY OVER LUNCH DINNER DATE


ME: So, were you able to get to the store to get the new shower head yet?


HUBBIE: No, I fixed it. I just pushed it a little harder this time and it stayed.


ME: (yeah, right -- I'm shaking my head instead my head) Why did you do that? I told you it was not fixable and to just buy a new one? It is going to be me who stands in the shower and has the thing fall out on my head! I am going to end up having to take another shower under trickling water again tomorrow. I just know it!


HUBBIE: Then I'll buy a new one.


ME: (frustrated and not wanting to be controlling) Do whatever.


Pause.


ME: So, why did you tell me it was broke and then change your mind and tell me it just fell out?


HUBBIE: Well, I noticed it was loose and so I was turning it trying to screw it back in when it fell out. (okay, so maybe I got the partial truth finally, but my gut is still telling me that he was not trying to screw it back in, but that he noticed it looked loose so he thought it was probably the type that just unscrewed, so he tried to unscrew it and it broke off.)



FRIDAY AFTER WORK


ME: So, did you decide to go get a new shower head?


HUBBIE: No, it seems to be working fine.



SATURDAY MORNING


ME: (Being the third person in the shower as we are trying to rush to get out of town, I see the thing lying on the floor of the tub). Dear, see, I told you I would have to take yet another bad shower today! You need to go get a new shower head today!


HUBBIE: Okay.


SUNDAY NIGHT UPON RETURN FROM TRAVEL


ME: Did you get a new shower head? How much did it cost?


HUBBIE: Know, I just put it back in and pushed even harder this time. We have taken several showers and it is working better than ever before.


ME: (staying silent as I do not want to fight, but I am sure it is unfixable and doing my best to just not argue)

MONDAY MORNING

Here is a photo of my shower yet again on Monday morning. Hubbie is already gone for work, so there is no conversation.


I have resolved that I am just going to have to go out after work and get a new shower head myself and install it before he gets home. The only way to get it done right is to do it myself. He refused to listen to me because I cannot be right and he must be right. I DO NOT GET MEN!


Now look at that photo? I can quickly observe that the screw in the middle cannot be screwed into with the circular plastic piece in the forefront. There is no way at all to re-thread the piece. It is SO obvious to me. I checked to see if there was a way to pull it all out the other end so it could be threaded and there was not. It is something that was put on in a certain order during construction and he used his manly-men strength to take it off to make things easier so that he could throw it in a bowl of vinegar instead of putting a baggie of vinegar over it. Now I've gone through all this stress because he refuses to listen to his wife because he has to be the one that is right because he can never admit that I am right. It is a total insult to his manhood to admit that his wife is right about handyman things and that he does not have that gift.


How many times in our marriage are we going to have to go through this same struggle of me having a handyman gift and him not? Will it ever go away? I try so hard to be a good wife and be patient, but I feel like I spend my life fixing things he messes up. It's a constant trial that God gives me.


So,


....this makes me think about how many times God is probably this frustrated with me. How many times does God try to tell me things and I just won't listen to him because I think I'm right when I'm not? How many times does he have to just quietly shake his head and not say anything and allow me to learn on my own through trial and error because I refused to listen to him?

 

So, I decided to look in the Bible to see what God has to say to me about when I do not listen to Him. Ouch! This is hard to read!


****************

Proverbs 1: 22 - 33


"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?


How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?


If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.


But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.


Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.


Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.


For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Copyright Cheryl Rutledge-Brennecke
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