Vacation or Vexation? A Surprise Life Lesson from the Nest

New appliances, new deck, and a new outlook.

Jul 31, 2024

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“Have fun on your vacation!” a friend said as we parted ways last summer. I was leaving for our newly purchased cabin in Minnesota.

Though there is much to love and enjoy at the cabin, being here differs vastly from a vacation. A second home (a privilege I don’t take for granted) comes complete with all the maintenance, improvements, and chores of any home.

This crazy summer’s “vacation” has also been filled with vexation.

Appliance anguish.

Three of the 17-year-old appliances in our new-to-us cabin all at once decided to die or act strangely. It started with the leaky dishwasher; then the frosty, noisy fridge; and finally, the “poofing” gas range.

The first new refrigerator we ordered didn’t fit and we had to return it for a smaller one, which meant moving everything to a cooler and neighbor’s freezer for a second time. (Thank goodness for my lovely neighbor.)

Then, the second new refrigerator’s delivery date was changed to the day I had planned to leave town, so I arranged for my other neighbors to oversee the delivery. (What would I do without my awesome neighbors?)

Upon my return, I began to install the handles on the new fridge (something the delivery guys should have done) and discovered one was missing a tiny set screw. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with “Life is Good, LG!” requesting said tiny screw. After waiting three weeks for a replacement to arrive, I called them back, only to find out they had never shipped the first order. Life is good, but it will be even better when I have a fridge with two handles!

Then there was the gas range. After much debate, a repair attempt, and the removal of the old range with the help of another neighbor (you can’t make this stuff up!), I slid the new range into its space. It stopped…four inches away from the back wall. A brief investigation revealed we’d have to move or shorten the gas line for the new range to fit. It wouldn’t be the easy DIY job my husband had assumed. Instead, I arranged a (expensive) visit with the professionals who wouldn’t blow up the house.

Deck delays and distress.

The appliance fiasco was completely unexpected this summer. What I did expect was the landscaping and deck project we started planning a year ago. I made sketches, had everything approved by the county and Homeowner’s Association, and in the dead of winter, lined up our contractors via email from Michigan. My goal was to have the deck project finished by the time our family started rolling in for their vacations in early July.

But as it goes, there was delay after delay. Finally, in mid- to late-June, the deck framing began. Things were going along smoothly and after two days, Charlie, our builder, had made much progress. Then, ‌on Wednesday, after removing the old boards from our existing deck (leaving us with no deck), Charlie said “I’ll be back on Monday” (because of another job, the weather, and the weekend). Our kids were arriving on Sunday.

Not only would there be no new deck for the kids to enjoy, but our old deck was now missing its floor.

That evening, on the verge of tears, I held a pity party for myself. I imagined some cosmic plot against me. The new deck I had envisioned eluded me, and instead, I saw no end to my problems.

Vexed, I stared out our bedroom window at the old, worn deck joists. That’s when I noticed something blue, bright blue. Robin-egg blue.

Nesting lessons.

Nestled between the joists was a carefully constructed bowl of pine needles, grass, and straw, holding three perfect robin eggs; but with no mama bird in sight. I worried the loud banging of hammers and saws might have scared her away. It wasn’t long, however, before Mama Robin showed up. She flitted in and out over the next several days, calmly warming her nest eggs.

This caring mama and I had both experienced upheaval in our lives. The old deck had been a protective roof over her nest. Now she was exposed to the elements of wind and rain (and the rude lady at the window always snapping photos).

Mama Robin and I were also both expecting our young ones’ arrivals. We wanted our nests to be just perfect for them.

But life isn’t perfect. And not accepting life’s imperfections will bring angst. Whereas holding on loosely to the worries of this world offers peace. Thinking back to my frustrations over the previous weeks, I had to admit Mama Robin handled her stressful situation much better than I did.

She didn’t seem to mind that the roof over her head was gone. My presence would momentarily scare her off, but she kept coming back. She sat patiently in her nest, unmoving. Like she expected everything would turn out as it should.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matt. 6: 26-27)

Why do we worry so? All my stressing over refrigerators, ranges, and decks had not added (and likely subtracted) hours from my life! Like Mama Robin, it was time for me to settle in and rest. To take to heart the mantra I’ve said to my kids countless times:

It is what it is.

It was time to take a vacation from my worries.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6: 33-34)

After some prayer, pondering, and pounding these words out on my keyboard, I pushed my troubles aside. It helped that my kids, who sensed my anguish and distress, said, “It will be fine, Mom. I’m sure we’ll have a great time with or without a deck to sit on.”

They were right. We did have a great time and only had to “survive” (sarcasm intended) without the deck for a day, as Charlie returned on Monday and got right to work. By Tuesday, the kids were reading, sunning, and chilling on the lake nest’s new deck.