Our 1930's stove was unexpectedly condemned during a recent service visit from Walter the Repair Specialist. Seems that the gas company doesn't take too kindly to little bitty gas leaks emanating from pipes and valves that can no longer be fixed or replaced.
I flung myself over the stove top in a last-ditch attempt to save our Beloved Appliance, but Walter simply shook his head, reminded me that he had already turned off the gas, and continued putting on his oversized winter boots. His final words were something about how they don't make 'em like they used to. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if he was referring to the stove or to, uh, me.
I digress...where was I? Ah yes. To summarize, and in case you were wondering how I *really* feel about this horrid turn of events in the Land of All Things Oven:
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
(Don't worry, I previously had no idea either about the emotional depths possible on this topic.)
But like Walter said, they truly don't make 'em like they used to. This beautiful baby was a top-of-the-line Tappan, complete with a huge work surface, side crisper drawers, and a high tech 'Visiguide' with cooking directions for every imaginable food. (Okay, fine, 'high tech' meaning a scrolling doohicky. Digital hadn't been invented yet.) We used that crazy stove almost every day. It brought food to our tummies, charm to our kitchen, and character to our house.
Get your tissues out. Here come some of the final images (sniff sniff) of Beloved Appliance:
I flung myself over the stove top in a last-ditch attempt to save our Beloved Appliance, but Walter simply shook his head, reminded me that he had already turned off the gas, and continued putting on his oversized winter boots. His final words were something about how they don't make 'em like they used to. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if he was referring to the stove or to, uh, me.
I digress...where was I? Ah yes. To summarize, and in case you were wondering how I *really* feel about this horrid turn of events in the Land of All Things Oven:
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
(Don't worry, I previously had no idea either about the emotional depths possible on this topic.)
But like Walter said, they truly don't make 'em like they used to. This beautiful baby was a top-of-the-line Tappan, complete with a huge work surface, side crisper drawers, and a high tech 'Visiguide' with cooking directions for every imaginable food. (Okay, fine, 'high tech' meaning a scrolling doohicky. Digital hadn't been invented yet.) We used that crazy stove almost every day. It brought food to our tummies, charm to our kitchen, and character to our house.
Get your tissues out. Here come some of the final images (sniff sniff) of Beloved Appliance:
As we said our final farewells, I thought of an expression that we often hear at New Years: out with the old, in with the new. Frankly, I think we're a tad *too* quick as a society to toss out the old, but that's a different post. The fact of the matter is that many times we don't have a choice when it comes to change. Life forces us out of our ruts, out of living in the past, by removing that which is comfortable and familiar. For better or worse, the "new" is there for us to discover and embrace.
To be sure, I'll learn to cook just fine with a new stove. Who knows, maybe I'll even learn to appreciate a properly functioning thermostat. My bigger concern is how I react when my Heart needs a change, or a Habit requires an overhaul, or a long-held Perspective needs a major course correction. Do I cling to the old, fighting and kicking the work of the Spirit, or do I choose to willingly discover and embrace the newness to which I am being called?
I trusted Walter to let me know when the stove needed to change. May we all likewise find grace to trust the Ultimate Repair Specialist when we're called to dig deep into the hope of the New.
In His arms,
Lisa
.