June 15

Proverbs 4:25 — Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee

We have a plumbing problem in our garage. It started on Thursday, and we were promised it would be fixed today. Yesterday, the company that was supposed to fix it told us that we would have to wait until Monday — the people who did that sort of work didn’t work on Saturday’s.

I was pretty annoyed to start with. Frustrated, really, because it’s not anything we can do anything about. But as usual, taking a deep breath and getting another point of view helps! Actually, the first revision wasn’t very comfortable.

“Who made you God, so that everything would work according to your plan?”

“Yes, but Lord …

“Don’t you trust me? When I said I had a plan for everything in your life, and that all things would work together for your good, did you think that didn’t include the plumbing? Are there any other areas of your life you want Me to exclude?”

“Oh. No. Sorry Lord.”

“Well then.”   

But the painful little conversation did start me thinking about how I could look for the good in this (helped by my sweetheart, who’s usually quicker than I am). For one thing, we don’t have to wait around all day Saturday for the workers to call. And then, we didn’t have to be up and about early, in case they came in the morning (lazy, I know…). And it’s given us a reason to go exercise and then eat out tonight. And these are just the obvious, immediate, not very spiritual benefits! Who knows what else might be stored up …

Here’s the thing. For those of you who know the “Winnie the Pooh” stories, sometimes I can be a bit of an Eeyore. I really do try to look on the bright side, but some times it escapes me for a while.  I can allow people or circumstances to change my point of view … to let my eyes wander to the left or right, so that I see the difficulties that surround me instead of the future that lies ahead of me … even the short term future of plumbing fixed, dry garage floor, all well in that department.

I’m not going to go through the many many scriptures that warn that the path is full of ups and downs, that being a Christian doesn’t let us off the trials of life (might even add to them!). You know them as well as I do. This is just an invitation. If you find me moping under the circumstances, please remind me of what Adrian Rogers said — “Under the circumstances, you suffocate; on them you rest pretty well.” Please don’t join me underneath!