Day 6: A Time of Trouble

Okay, so not BIG trouble, thank God, but definitely a nuisance. Drain problems... again. I had spent an hour working on a very nice dinner for my parents. My mother opened the laundry room door in the basement and shrieked, "Oh my gosh! The drain backed up!" Most of the floor was covered by about a quarter inch of water... the two rugs had soaked up a majority of it. It's not the first time this has happened (or the second, or the third... or the tenth, for that matter), but this time, some dirt and other nondescript compost-y muck (looked like a bunch of dead leaves... nothing more) had backed up with the water. We moved practically everything out so my dad could snake the drain. As he was doing so, the snake hose kinked and damaged it beyond repair--we had to haul the snake outside, go buy a new hose, put it on the snake, and haul it back downstairs. Kept snaking... until THAT hose kinked. By now, dinner has been sitting out for about two hours, so everything was cold and dried out... not to mention everyone was stressed and exhausted. Not a fun experience.

So, why am I venting about this on what's supposed to be an inspirational blog? Because life isn't perfect. We can't learn valuable, Godly lessons without being tried and tested. Times of trouble also remind us who REALLY is in charge, and who we should always turn to for strength.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
~Psalm 46:1-3 (KJV)

God wants us to rely on Him; we are His children and He loves us unconditionally. Yes, bad things do happen, even to Christians, but everything can be fixed in some way. Sometimes wars break out, but God will see us through to more peaceable times. Sometimes natural disasters happen, but God brings us together and helps us rebuild. And sometimes "the waters thereof roar and be troubled" in our laundry rooms, but stuff will dry or can be replaced. No biggie. It's just stuff. In the bigger scheme of things, stuff doesn't matter. God matters. Times of trouble, stress, pain, anguish, and grief teach us how to work together, how to be patient, and what has true worth in our lives. It's the not-so-perfect times that make us better, stronger, wiser Christians... just so long as we allow them to.

Lord, thank You for today... and yesterday. Yes, it was stressful, but stressful situations have made me more reliant on You, thus bringing me closer to You. Please watch over my parents, and don't let them stress out too much. Give them strength (and energy) and bring peace to their hearts and minds. And Lord, I pray that the drain gets fixed quickly so that we can focus on more important works. Please continue to walk with me and guide me forever. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Love and God Bless,
M.C.