Because Saturday was the one year mark of being homeowners, I thought I would share all the updates we have done. This house was in pretty good shape when we bought it. The floors were new and most of the appliances were updated. The room that need the most work was our kitchen.

Our house was built in the 1970’s, and the kitchen had not been touched since then. The cabinets were old and starting to fall apart. The counter tops were a laminate blue that matched the wall. Which really bugged me. Also, there was big wall that divided the kitchen and living room that had nothing on it. A huge waste of space.

Needless to say, we knew that kitchen was not going to last long the way it was. We had big plans for this thing when we moved in. Unfortunately, we could not work our magic right away because well, money. We needed to save up and create a plan for how we were going to tackle this monster.

My organized husband split up our plan into three phases. We knew we wanted to add canned lighting in the kitchen ceiling, replace all the cabinets and counter tops, take down half the wall that separated the living room and kitchen, and replace the condemned railing by our stairs for a much safer option.

Phase one was installing the new lights and removing the existing kitchen, phase two included knocking down half of the kitchen wall and installing the new cabinets. Phase three was getting countertops and replacing the rickety stair railing.

Our goal was to complete all three phases by November 14th in order to give us a month before our baby was due. Did I mention I was pregnant when all this chaos began? Good times.

The more we planned for this kitchen renovation, the more inconvenient our current kitchen situation felt. Once I saw the grand blueprints for extra storage, more counter space, and an open concept, I couldn’t help but loath the room that was in front of me. You can only go to Lowe’s so often before you start dreaming of backsplash.

The closer we got to “D-day” as we liked to call it, the more fed up I was. I wanted all the shiny, new kitchen things, not the old, dusty stuff we had.

I felt like the Israelites when Moses had led them into the wilderness.

These people were in Egypt for almost 400 years being enslaved by the Egyptians. They begged for saving. They cried for deliverance. Here comes Moses, sent by God to deliver his people. After the plagues and exodus and the parting of the seas, they found themselves in the wilderness with nothing to eat or drink. Then they begin to grumble. Not just the “I’m hungry” kind of grumbling, but saying things like how well they ate when they were enslaved. How it would be better to be back in Egypt because at least they could get a decent meal.

Slavery sounded better than waiting on what the Lord could do for them.

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel- and God knew.” (Exodus 2:24-25 ESV).

Their prayers were answered. God delivered them from slavery. He brought them out of oppression. But all they wanted was the comfort of something familiar. They could not be grateful for what the Lord had done for them because they were so focused on what was inconvenient.

God had provided a house for us. We prayed and prayed for a place to buy, for a place the call our own, a place to bring our baby home to. God heard our prayers and delivered, not without some struggles, but nevertheless, He gave us a home.

And here I was, just the like the Israelites, wanting something else. Not being grateful for what the Lord had given me. I still get this way in my home. I still get this way about quite a few things that don’t go my way. In the middle of challenges, I tend to lose sight of what the Lord has given me or what He has brought me out of.

I am trying to learn. Attempting to be more grateful even in the tough circumstances. When I realized my negativity towards my kitchen was on par with the whiny Israelites (I say that because I am just as whiny as they were), it was an eye opener in gratitude. Before we did any renovations on our kitchen, I was able to thank God for how He provided for us. Even in the frustrations, I have still have with our house, I am able to thank God for this blessing.

I do not want to go back to what was familiar or comfortable. I can trust God that my future is taken care of.