I woke up on New Years day to a freezing cold house. I thought perhaps the temperature had dropped overnight. And since I live in Buffalo, NY, sub-zero winter weather isn't the least bit unusual.
But temperatures were somewhere in the mid-40's, which is pretty mild around these parts. So, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why it was uncharacteristically cold in the house. After thinking about it for a moment, my first inclination was to check the furnace. I assumed the pilot light had simply blown out, although that doesn't typically happen unless it's extremely cold outdoors.
Well, turns out I was right. The pilot light had indeed blown out.
Still, for some reason, after being re-lit, the flame kept going out. My husband, Kenya, tried his hand at it a few times with the same unsuccessful results. So he called the gas company. Someone came out to the house to diagnose the problem, and we were told that our gas coupler in the furnace just needed to be replaced--a fairly easy fix. Before leaving, the repairman checked to make sure everything else was functioning properly.
To our surprise, he discovered a gas leak (Yikes!) in one of the pipes in the basement. Immediately, he shut the gas off for the safety of our family. As you might imagine, Kenya and I were thanking God for the minor issue with the furnace, that unmasked a much bigger issue that could have been fatal.
Even though being without heat and hot water wasn't our ideal way to spend New Year's day, we couldn't stop giving God praise for our inconvenient blessing.
Sometimes, when we go through storms and struggles, it's easy to focus on the chaos and frustration caused by the trial. Unpleasant issues can make it really hard to see how any of our present circumstances are working for our good. Nevertheless, I encourage you to grab hold to faith. Believe in your heart that the Lord is working things out in your favor. Know that He desires only good things for you, even in the worst situations. Instead of complaining, through everything, give Him thanks.
You might be crying because something didn't work out, but you never know what was averted. There may have been hurt, pain, or some unforseen danger lurking behind that closed door. You know, as I'm typing this post, I'm reminded of the the seasoned mothers in church who often say, "I thank God for keeping me from dangers seen and unseen." In other words, they are praising the Lord for shielding them from potentially harmful things, people, and situations they may or may not have noticed at the time.
At this moment, I'm thankful for the inconvenient blessing of having my gas shut off on New Year's day. By the grace of God, the harm that could have come to my family, didn't. What a way to start 2011!
TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, when I'm going through hard trials and tribulations, I certainly don't feel blessed. But, during hard times, please remind me that You love me and want only what's best for me. Help me to rest in the knowledge that You are working things out for my good, no matter how bad things look. And, through it all, I thank You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
