The Joy of Solving Problems

Taking care of domestic affairs is a duty I am bound to as a family man. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family. In addition to the three children, I have my cousins and niece staying with me. In a sense, we have a big family according to today's family size. The bigger the family, the bigger the family responsibility too. The Lord has been faithful in meeting all our needs day by day. There never has been any lack financially so far. Yet I have never taken the way of living luxuriously. As much as possible, I and my wife have been doing our best to be as economic as possible. We spend only for the real need of the family; for healthy food, healthy living, for a good children's education besides the offering as a thanksgiving to the Lord. Therefore, we control our monthly spending strictly.

In this line of family economy, I would not waste anything as much as possible. If broken things could be repaired I would do my best to repair them. First, by myself, if not, get a repairman. It was a good experience the past few weeks repairing things. 

The first thing I repaired was a clothes dryer which broke to the extent that it was just good to dispose of it. I was about to buy a new one but found it too expensive for just a dryer. Then I realized that I could as well repair it. I took time to study the problem and fixed it with the help of my son and daughter. The repairing work was further improved as it broke down multiple times. Every time it broke, I came up with a new idea and still make it work. And now it has been working and is being in use. 

The other work was the toilet flush which was a very old model, the flush handle broke. It was not possible to find a replacement for the broken handle. I had only two options, repair it or buy the entire flush kit. I decided to repair it. I used a little scientific idea and fixed it, somehow. 

Then I found another clothes dryer lying totally broken and unused. I looked at it and found ways to repair it. A smart idea was all that it took me. I studied the points where it broke and figured out how to fix it, and then fixed it. Now, it is a good as the new one, even stronger, as I used some extra reinforcement on the broken parts.

One big challenge was when my washing machine broke down. I need to first find the problem and then the solution. I searched a random YouTube video and came up with ideas. One by one, I tried the ideas I got. I had to open up the back and bottom parts of the machine. After a careful look into the mechanism, I found that the drain outlet was blocked by multiple coins which must have fallen from the pockets of clothes washed, I removed them all. Then I found the cleaning filter fully choked with mud, perhaps, the dirt from clothes gathered and accumulated into thick mud. I cleaned them all. Then I applied mechanical force to the drum that did not spin as it was choked at the joint, due to dirty clogging. And finally, I did a descaling of the entire machine with a chemical powder. After all these tedious steps, the washing machine worked again to the joy of my wife. 

All these repairing works, if given to repairman would cost a few thousands of rupees. Or, if we were to purchase new gadgets for all these, it would cost some fifteen to twenty thousand rupees. Now, the works were done and money saved. On the one hand, it was for economy sake, yet on the other hand, it was for saving from wastage, that I took the pain to repair myself. But most importantly was for me to learn to solve problems with scientific ideas and learn to fulfill my domestic duty. After all, the joy of solving problems economically was a reward I love to enjoy. 

This reminds me of solving spiritual problems through prayer and careful study of the fact and applying the word of God as life and life supply. Physical repairs point to spiritual lessons of great value! The result is, joy!