The finished product turned out pretty well.

A Bathroom Remodel Project Turns Out to Be More than We Bargained For!

By Susan Shanklin

Have you ever thought (or are you thinking right now) that things aren’t going the way you thought they would?

You have solid plans. A green light from the Holy Spirit. Your excitement level is high, and … and … and … then everything implodes around you??

As I type, we are monitoring the downstairs toilet to see if it leaks again. Oh, you think, how minor my dear.  Well, I have a story for you.

I was blessed to be able to replace an ugly, I mean really ugly, old tile floor in our teeny-weeny downstairs bathroom.

Oh, people, my heart leapt for joy at the thought of a new floor. A dream come true, since we moved into our 1910 bungalow four years ago.

Hey, little things bring me great joy.

You know the routine. You go online and look for local people to come and give you an estimate, and they take forever to get back to you. They’re late by two hours, and the bid is too high.

We change course and go to Home Depot and select some Luxury Vinyl Plank that looks like marble tile. Not too flashy and within our budget, seeing the floor space is so tiny.

As we are walking out of Home Depot, we see a toilet on sale. Yahoo, I need one of those, seeing that the one we have is cracked, and we have been biding our time to purchase a new one. Into the cart it goes.

Home Depot is scheduled to come and replace the tile. A handyman removes the pedestal sink and toilet first. Me giddy with excitement.  I can close my eyes and envision just what it will look like.

We pray for skilled tradesmen and pleasant to work with, and then wait … with Tom prompting with phone calls.

Hallelujah! They’re coming … at 4 o’clock in the evening! What? Just how is that going to work? Remove the tile floor, lay down plywood, and put the LVP down. Oh Lord Jesus, help us.

Two very pleasant gentlemen arrive and start breaking up the floor with a mini jackhammer and saws. The noise is horrendous, so I go to the front porch and hang out till they leave at 9 or 10 at night.

When I return, I have a beautiful floor with concrete chunks and dust ALL over the little bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, and going upstairs.

I was dumbfounded. My mouth hung open. I was speechless. How on earth weren’t the doorways sealed? Our fault, maybe? But whatever. There is a mess of monumental proportions.

We spent two days cleaning, vacuuming, and washing walls and ceilings and curtains. Only bonus was a super clean house. But I had a NEW FLOOR!

Ok, next get the toilet back in. I don’t like walking upstairs frequently.

Handyman to come. Oh, wait. Doesn’t show up. Tomorrow, eye roll.

Lord, am I in sin? The demons of hell are in an all-out war against me, I think.

I really have to find scriptures to help me overcome thoughts of defeat and wrongness. How disturbing to think God isn’t with me in my time of need, or that I did something wrong to deserve this grief. Silly, silly me. Ever been there?

Handyman is still a no-show, so Tom lifts up the toilet and sets it or tries to set it. This is a man who has remodeled at least three bathrooms.

First try. It leaks. Second try. Leaks again. We order a new wax ring on speedy home delivery.

Next day, the handyman and Tom set the toilet again. Guess whattttttt? Leaks.

I look towards heaven and cry out, “What did I do wrong?!!!!!!!!”

There’s nothing you can do now but call the real deal. That would be the one where you have to sell your firstborn to come and set the toilet.

The plumber can’t come until Monday.

On Monday, the plumber finally comes, sets the toilet, and you sell your firstborn to pay.

23 days later, I’m sitting on the golden throne, and I look down and see water seeping out of the toilet, rolling across my beautiful floor towards the bathtub!

“TOM!”

What? How?

Susan lost her cool. Not Tom, but I do push his buttons like usual. And you thought I was perfect.

People, have you been there? The world is off its axis, and you just can’t seem to get back on the road again?

Tom calls the plumber. They say to wait three days. Susan has a meltdown.

Now this is supposed to be a spiritual message, but it’s about me just crying out. Failure after failure. Walking around the mountain over and over again. Where are you, God?

He says, “Right here.”

“Oh.”

Fortunately, we did not have to wait three days. The Lord must have tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Get over there! Susan’s upset!”

There’s much more that could be said about the sink that had to be set twice, the little white cabinet that was supposed to take one hour to put together, the holes in the wall from removing a shelf, a new light fixture that I just had to have, and the arduous job of removing silicone around the tub.

I can literally see the finish line, but first Tom needs to caulk the tub, hang the new towel holder, AND hang my stained glass piece!

Surely, Susan, your bathroom is done now???

Yes, it is, and I love, love, love it. I have beauty for ashes and joy with gladness, and Tom still loves me.

Be careful what you flush for!