I am a little upset right now, not an anyone, but at the rain and my chimney, and my gas fireplace insert. I became aware of a possible problem a couple days ago, but ignored it--the drip, drip . . . . drip. . . drip...drip, drip of water somewhere nearby. It wasn't coming from the living room ceiling. It didn't dare. My roof is only a few years old. But, there it was as plain as day. Drip...drip...drip. Then it would stop. And I would explain it away as water dripping off the rain gutters all around the house. Riiiight.
This evening it started in again. Only this time it sounded like water dripping into water. Drip, splash....drip, splash. So I got my handy-dandy flashlight from the bedroom, then approached my fireplace with fear and trembling. After remembering how to open up the glass door, I succeeded in lowering it and shining some light onto the subject. There in the front, left corner was a steady drip of water falling onto the faux-rocks and ultimately onto the hearth underneath. UGH. Where was the water coming from?
I then lifted up some grill work on the very top of the insert and discovered a big puddle of water, some pieces of rock, and a piece of soaking wet insulation. Double UGH.
Now. after an hour of problem solving, figuring out what to do, and keeping Licorice Kitty out of the way (I know she wanted to help, but I was in no mood for a fuzzy tail in my face), the gas is turned off, a towel is soaking up the water from the top of the insert while catching new water dripping from above, a plastic container is catching any water that might escape the towel above it, another towel is shoved against the base, wicking water out from under the fireplace insert, and my wrist is itching like crazy from insulation I touched while retrieving the rocks and wet insulation. TRIPLE UGH!
Thankfully all is finally under control, at least for now. Stop-gap measures are in place and working.
As I said in the beginning, I am a little upset. I don't like dealing with "stuff" like this. I would like to think that all this rain is making its way down the special exhaust vent installed the full height of the chimney, but I know better. The chimney is very old. It is probably deteriorating and in need of repair.
There is good news, though. It is not raining at the moment, and the dripping sound from inside the stove has finally stopped.
Now that all is quiet in my home once more, part of me wants to sputter and fume. I want to exclaim aloud, "What is all this anyway, God? I don't need this." But I don't. He knows those thoughts are in my mind. I will instead inhale deeply, knowing he is in control. Really, he is. If I am to learn something, let me learn it. If I am to contact a specific person, may I do so. But for now, I will enjoy the Lord's peace, and seek His guidance on what to do next.
Lord, please show me your plan in this whole messy water thingy, and what you want me to do or who you want me to contact. But Lord, I know are a miracle worker. You heal broken bones, paralyzed limbs, and even raise the dead. Do you mend leaking chimneys too? I could really use a repair job about now.
Jan and Licorice Kitty (She just went outside. Checking out the chimney I think)
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