Article May 7, 2001 Issue

When your back's against the wall

By Lucinda Baker Greiner

No Matter How Unusual, complicated, or frightening a situation may be, there's always an answer. And you can find it by praying. You can find healing. You can find guidance to help move forward.

Recently I found myself in a predicament that had no easy answer. After my husband passed away, I thought I should sell the house. The real estate agent who listed it was enthusiastic about its large lot, location, and good condition.

Soon I had an offer. In Arizona, a house must pass several inspections before it's sold. To our surprise, my home failed to pass one of them. A wide brick fireplace and hearth had been built into the long cinder-block wall of the living room. My husband and I had lighted hundreds of fires over the years and never had any problems. But the state inspector found that some of the masonry had crumbled and fallen between the outer wall of the fireplace and the metal liner. He seemed surprised that the house had not caught fire. The house couldn't be sold until the fire hazard had been corrected, he said.

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