Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
I have been praying about some maintenance needs at my home for quite a while. I seem to be comfortable living in the land of denial for longer than I should, but when you don’t see a way to do something. You just put up with it.
My prayers seem to evolve in stages. First it they are, “Lord, I think there is a problem. I don’t know what to do.” Is there a problem? Is it just my imagination? Surely it will be OK. Please, Lord make it OK.
Time goes by. Hmm. Lord, I think there really is a problem. What am I going to do about it? I don’t know how to fix the problem. Then I usually feel sorry for myself for a while—can be short or sadly to say a longer time.
Those two seasons can last for varying amount of times. My bathroom issue has been several years in the making. Through this year, while the Lord has had me dealing with faith not fear, the bathroom issue rose up once again before my eyes. My prayers turned from, what to do Lord. To more, Lord, you must have a solution for me. How should I proceed? There was a distinct shift from a whiny talking about it, to actually asking for His solution and problem solving.
I began to thank Him for the solution. One day I was talking to my friend, Bill Hinckley and the situation came up. He had just finished remodeling his bathroom and it looked great on Facebook. He said, I’ll come and do it. I went, “really?” and he said, yes. Then I wasn’t sure I wanted God to answer the problem that way–it was a lot to ask, but Bill and God got their way, and he came.
It has been three weeks. He leaves tomorrow. What an amazing three weeks it has been. God has been showing up in some special ways, both physically and spiritually. My family has been a support. I am re-learning a lesson of asking help of others. My brother-in-law desperately needs a knee replacement. He is only a few weeks out from scheduling it, so I didn’t want to ask him to help. But we needed a truck so I started there. They said sure. We were able to get the supplies we needed to my home. I was grateful for the use of their vehicle.
Then Bill kept asking me if I knew a plumber. Mmm, why? Not an area of his expertise. OK Lord. What to do? I had already asked a couple from our church over for dinner one night for fellowship. They had met Bill and Darlene in Connecticut and I thought it would be nice for them to visit. Del knows a lot about plumbing! He was such a blessing even though things didn’t go smoothly–he patiently found a way to sort his way through the problem. And we had good fellowship.
Issues arose. Opportunities for discouragement came forth. I chose faith over fear. Several times I went into the bathroom and said, “Lord, thank you for solutions for the problems we know, and those we don’t know as yet!” I released my faith and chose peace, instead of anxiety most of the time!
One day I asked Richard (my brother-in-law) if he would drive his truck about 45 minutes away where we had found some doors at a building salvage and supply store to find a door for another desperate area of help. My back bedroom had developed a mold, mildew problem and the outside door was rotting. He said yes, and then offered to help with the installation. Even in pain from his knee–he helped for two days. I watched and listened while these two men problem-solved, sorted things out–shared life together in a very real way. No fuss, no muss–just used their wisdom to solve my problem! I don’t think I would have had the courage to ask his help, because of his knee issue–but I know he was blessed to be a blessing. I have discovered once again the blessing of teamwork and how God created us to share our burdens together. It is tempting to pre-judge a situation and not ask others for help because you think you know how they will answer. It is important to let them answer for themselves! I would have robbed Bill of the help he needed and Richard of the opportunity to serve if I had not ask him for help. As a side note—if people say no when we ask, do not get offended or hurt. Just bless them and believe for another solution!
Two of my life group ladies have had experience in remodeling or building houses. They came and used their skills–then as we shared a meal together–God began to minister and encourage all of us. He used the physical need to set a platform to help meet other needs, the fellowship and support was mutual.
I am so grateful for the Body of Christ and His family. My natural family helped as they could–but they couldn’t do it all. So God used my spiritual family to help me.
It is humbling to need others—but it is also part of His plan to draw us together. The weight of these problems is off my shoulders. There is still some cosmetic stuff that needs to be done. But Bill fly’s off tomorrow and I head to Oregon to minister. I am so grateful for everyone’s help and pray His grace and blessing upon you all. I don’t know why God answered my prayers this way, I am just grateful that He did.
Faith Encounters 