After all the rain we have had in August and September I noticed a wet spot on the wall in the corner of the rectory’s family room. As I investigated I realized the corner was damp from the crown moulding all the way to the base moulding. Uh oh. I let Harry, our Sexton, and Cindy Atwood, our Junior Warden know right away, and then I started hunting a potential source. It wasn’t too hard to find, as it turns out.

The family room shares a wall with the garage, although the garage is set back from the main house about two feet. That means the outside corner of the family room sticks out two feet from the corner of the garage. For whatever reason, the upper roof doesn’t have a full gutter on the back of the house (and none on the front). It has a gutter that runs the length of the back deck, and then it was left open over the garage. So, as water comes off the upper roof, it all pours out of that gutter, like a hose (garden hose with light rain, fire hose with heavey rain), onto the garage roof and runs down the corner that is formed between the back wall of the house and the garage roof line. Are you still with me?

As it comes pouring down the garage roof, all that water hits the outside frame around the cement board siding. The water managed to get inside the wall, which was the source of the leak we were seeing inside. When the house was built the worker who cut the cement board to fit the profile of the eave and the fascia cut it too short. Instead of cutting a new piece they simply cut another couple inches off to fill in the hole they left. So, between the patch and the wearing down of the seams, the water had an easy entry into the wall. As we learned this week when the contractor came to make repairs, that water has been getting behind the wall for a long time – likely years.

And here’s the thing: there was absolutely no indication that there was a problem. Had it not been for the sheer volume of rain we’ve had lately, it would have remained a hidden problem for who knows how long? The exterior appeared to be in great shape – no holes, no bubbling paint, no mold or mildew. But when I went hunting for the problem and poked that exterior cement board with my finger, and my finger went right through it like it was paper, I knew we had a problem. I watched this week as the contractor peeled away cement board with ease, and then scooped out chunks of rotten 2x4’s like it was ice cream. The good news is, as bad as it looked, it was a relatively straightforward repair. They managed to do the outside demo and replace the rotten wood and siding all in a single day. The interior drywall will be dealt with in the coming days.

Now, since you are trained to expect all my stories to lead to some sort of insight at the end, I don’t want to dissapoint you. In fact, if you can’t wait for the lesson at the end of the Ramblings, I have a special gift just for you. Today, I have three (I limited myself)! The first one is learned from the aggravation that we have all felt in dealing with this problem. Had the job been done correctly the first time, we wouldn’t have had this costly repair. Another $40-50 for guttering and a downspout would have dealt with the issue entirely. Why it wasn’t done is anyone’s guess. So, first up, remember that it is always best to deal with things the right way the first time around. This is true in building; it’s true in disciplining children; it’s true in being honest with your family and co-workers; it’s true in love and saying the things that matter. This is true in so many things. And even if you don’t do it right the first time, as soon as you realize it, make it right. Many things run the risk of getting worse with time, not better.

Secondly, as I reflect on this I have two duelling interpretations of one particular aspect of this sitation: that such problems can grow undetected. One is a call to mercy, and one is a call to vigilance. In terms of mercy, remember that we can never truly know the extent to which another person is damaged in ways that we can’t see. So many people are battered or broken, yet we can’t see it based on the outside. Most of us are masters at keeping up outside appearances, hiding the things we don’t want others to see. So be gentle with people when you start to see them leaking in some way; give them the benefit of the doubt when you can, and support them as you are able.

But, be wary of those who begin to show a rotten interior that they keep disguised behind the smiling surface. Some people are damaged and need care, others are rotten, and that rot can hurt us. That’s not to say that the person who has a rotten soul isn’t hurt deep down inside in ways they may or may not know; sometimes they share their pain, but not to get help – but to wreak havoc. When you meet the rare rotten person, you quickly realize that there is often little you can do to help them. Their goal, consciously or unconsciously, is often to spread their rot and damage others. Had we not dealt with the problem we discovered, no doubt we eventually would have had to deal with toxic mold in the Rectory. For most of us, unless we are trained professionals, we are ill-equipped to deal with rotten people apart from distancing ourselves. It may seem somewhat cruel, particularly if we suspect an underlying saddness, lonliness, or pain. At the end of the day, however, there will be those people who we simply cannot help and must stay away from in order to stay healthy ourselves. Just like we tend to leave black mold to the professionals with their haz-mat suits and respirators, rotten people need special care too.

The good news is everything will be back to normal soon, and we’re going to put a proper gutter and downspout in place to prevent a repeat. Some folks have been apologetic that we have “had to deal with this.” They are kind, however, this is what happens to homes. Sometimes things break or rot or quit working. As I said to the Vestry, my family and I are grateful that Christ Church has a rectory for us to live in and that problems like this one are addressed quickly. I am well aware that so many in this world do not have roof over their heads. We are blessed almost beyond measure in so many ways – this is just one of them. Even all the rain we’ve received has been a blessing – things don’t grow without out it. But like you, I’m hoping for a little bit less of that partiuclar blessing in the weeks to come.

Tom+

Visit, O blessed Lord, the Rectory and each of our homes with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live in those homes with the gift of your loave; and grant that they may manifest your love to each other and to all whose lives they touch. May they grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen them; and preserve them in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and for ever. Amen.