A few weeks ago, I had a really bad bike day. It involved three separate tire punctures (on two separate bicycles)... a broken and mangled spoke on one of the wheels... and at least four separate instances of the chain falling off one of the bicycles (with each instance requiring several minutes of messy fingerwork to get things back on track). Quite a bit of my time was wasted, the skin on my hands was stained and chapped from the conditions, and the repairs cost me all the cash I had in my wallet. It was a very bad bike day.

Two tire punctures and three chain disengagements into the day, I had a brief emotional breakdown. After ten or fifteen minutes of futility in trying to get the chain back on the bike that still had two properly-inflated tires, I cried out to myself: "These stupid chains are the bane of my existence!"

But then, just after the words escaped my lips, I had to smile and laugh at myself. I realized that if stubbornly-disengaged bicycle chains were the bane of my existence... well, then my existence was probably not all that bad. I still had my health, to walk instead of to ride the bike. I still had a bunch of bicycle parts that did work in spite of the difficulties. And I had enough money in my wallet to cover all the repair costs. Ironically, a feeling of gratitude washed over me as I considered this "bane of my existence."

Today, I've had a similar experience. Our central heating unit sprung a leak very suddenly and unexpectedly, and when the technician came to take a look at it we received the dreaded news that the entire unit would need to be replaced. An expedited order for a new CV ketel was placed immediately, but in the meantime we have to go about 24 hours without any heat or hot water. That's twenty-four hours in one of the the coldest, darkest weeks of the year. And to get everything back on-line, it's going to put a serious crunch on our bank account...

Not exactly the tidings of comfort and joy that we like to consider at this time of the year.

But with the lesson of the stubbornly-disengaged bicycle chain still relatively fresh in my mind, I've been able to count my blessings today. If a cold house and a depleted bank account are the banes of my existence... well, then my existence is really not all that bad. In spite of the mess and money, we still have a home that shelters us from the wind and rain outside. We have plenty of blankets and extra clothing to pile on for the night. We have an extra space-heater that we were able to borrow from friends. We have the financial means to arrange for the necessary repairs. And really, no matter how uncomfortable things might get tonight, it looks like it's all of a 24-hour "ordeal" -- absolutely nothing compared to what so many people around the world have to deal with on a daily basis. We have so much for which we can be thankful. Even when the things around us are bad, God is good.