Stories From Under the Sink

Yesterday we had new countertops installed in our kitchen.  I never really minded the old ones, formica is okay with me but these days it seems that homebuyers insist on solid surface countertops.  We’re not selling our home since we added an island to our kitchen, our current tops were not big enough and knowing we’ll have to sell sometime down the road, we elected to pay the extra now.

The best part of the new countertops is my new under-mount sink.  That is one thing I have long coveted.  The thought of not having to scrape built-up kitchen goo from around the rim of a sink sends shivers down my spine!

After allowing a period of settling for the new sink, this afternoon my plumber, Wayne stopped by to hook up all the drain fittings and faucet.  I am perfectly capable of doing all that myself, but I have learned that plumbing projects many times involve an element of surprise that are not pleasant.  Having Wayne do the job meant that if there were any surprises, he was more than able to handle them.  Besides, I enjoy being the “helper” a lot more than the person who contorts themselves under the sink.

As he worked we chatted.  It takes a really cold duck to avoid chatting with me while working in my house.  Usually we chat about the weather, or some local doings.  Today though, Wayne shared an amazing story from his life, about how he became a plumber.

Not long after he graduated from high school, Wayne was involved in a head on collision which left him with severe head trauma and in a coma for six months.  Just days before his family were planning to remove him from life-support, he regained consciousness but was unable to talk and his entire left side was paralyzed.

From the hospital he went to a rehab center where he spent another two years re-learning how to talk and walk.  His memory had been pretty much wiped clean and his family worked with him to fill in the gaps of his life story.

During his time in the rehab center, he met a man who told him to give him a call when he got out and he would give him a job.  Wayne didn’t know what kind of job he would have but was happy to have a job to go to.

The first day he reported to work, the man wasn’t there.  Some other men gave him a broom and told him to start sweeping.  A little while later, when the man showed up, he said,”I didn’t hire you to sweep. You’re going to be a plumber!”

The rest is history.  Wayne was trained as a plumber and has reached master plumber status.  He is certain that he is on this earth due solely to God’s grace and his faith is quiet and genuine. Hearing the story of his survival of the accident and long road back amazed me.  I don’t know what I’d expect someone with that kind of story to look like, but certainly not like Wayne.

With all the commotion in my kitchen the past couple of days, I’ve been distracted and missed my daily time with God.  As always, when I fail to talk to God, God finds ways to talk to me.

Thank you God!