A couple years ago, we were away on holidays and received a frantic phone call from our daughter. Saskatchewan had been having one of the wettest summers on record and that week Moose Jaw had about 6 inches of rain. The end result was an overwhelmed storm system and water and sewage backing up into basements, including ours.

Fortunately, we had insurance and were able to get the basement redone. Everything looked great—until the next summer when the rains came again. There wasn’t as much this time but the storm drains and sewers were still not up the task and once again many homes in our area got flooding. Once again we were faced with needing to repair a damaged basement.

Insurance would still cover us but we knew it would be the last time. Indeed, our insurer advised us that another claim would only be honored up to a small limit. We decided we needed to do some other changes first to try to prevent more flooding. A couple of interconnected sump pumps and a complete upgrade of drainage around the house, including sixty feet of pipe on each downspout to carry away rainwater, and we were ready to proceed.

By this time we had found an excellent contractor, our son Jared, who after finishing the sump pumps proceeded with the renovation of the basement. This is when I started to see one of the problems with renovations—they’re addicting. My wife got excited about what was happening in the basement and started getting more ideas. Out with the dated green carpet on the second floor and in with hardwood flooring. New light fixtures. A new bathroom mirror. Maybe redo the closet? I’m starting to think about taking her to shoe stores just to get her off the hard stuff.

I’ve been through some renovations myself. They were very hard and very easy at the same time. Very expensive and totally free. And completely worth it.

“A new heart I shall give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from you the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26