You see, my family lives out of state, and within my circle of friends (mostly single women), there are not any furnace repair people. My friends and I all struggle with the day to day things that typically break down, and we have all been forced to rely on the Lord for just about all of our repairs. Sure, my sister, a former Home Depot employee and home improvement afficiando, would help me--if she lived closer. Unfortunately, she lives too far for the day to day breakdowns that go with owning a home. She always offers to help, but goodness, if I were to take her up on her offer every time something broke down, she may as well park a camper in my driveway. I mean, I'd have her over nearly every day.
I was really proud of myself last fall when I looked up on youtube.com just how to fix a kitchen faucet; then I tore apart my faucet and actually fixed it in about 1/2 hour. I was actually pretty amazed. The kids and I were tired of having to use the bathroom sink, and I didn't have too many choices. Actually, I didn't have any choice but to fix it myself--that is, or call a plumber for a very expensive housecall.
I've had to fix a lot of things by myself--some more difficult than others. When the flood of 2006 hit our home, I spent the entire summer and fall ceramic tiling my entire downstairs. Now, I know why Home Depot charges so much to complete a job. If I ever have to ceramic tile another floor, I think I'll just move. On a side note, however, it's funny how the Lord works. While recently on a missions trip in Jamaica, I was the only team member who had ceramic tiling experience. Thank God, only some counters and tables needed tiling--I had already begun having tiling flashbacks from my 2006 experience. Over the years though, the Lord has always intervened and either shown me how to repair whatever is broken, or He has provided someone to help me. Just when we were all about to morph into Eskimos (there's enough snow outside to prove my case), the Lord sent me someone to consistently warm my home. Not only did my friend replace my thermostat with a digital one, but he actually fixed the furnace. Replacing the old thermostat was just a bonus, I guess.
Anyway, I am now sitting here, reveling in God's kindness to me through a friend. I have been reading a new book lately, entitled Heaven is For Real-A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, by Todd Burpo.
In it, the little boy, Colton asks his father, the author, "Daddy, remember when I yelled for you in the hospital when I waked up?" The dad answers, "Of course, I do." And Colton says,"Well, the reason I was yelling was that Jesus came to get me. He said I had to go back because he was answering your prayer. That's how come I was yelling for you."
Well, just as Jesus answered Colton's daddy's prayer, He answered mine. My answer may not have been as life altering and amazing as Colton's dad's answer was, but it was just as personal, and it was for me. Just me. The God of the Universe; the One who created the Earth, moon and stars; the One who created me, my children and my future grandchildren; the One who was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again--He actually answered my prayer, on a very personal level, and fixed my furnace. It may not seem like much to you, but it is to me. I mean, I've never enjoyed the cold weather, let alone inside my own home. Lately, I have been so cold inside my house, that I went around wearing a hoodie and all sorts of clothing, including gloves, just to keep warm. I've also come to realize that when I am cold, I can't seem to get virtually anything accomplished. I mean, Hulu was becoming a mainstay in our living room. I was even too cold to type--and that's cold.
In the answering of my prayer, God also used my friend. Had my friend not been listening or open to the Lord's prompting, my furnace may still be broken. Yes, there are always two or more sides to every equation. Thank God, my friend was such a willing vessel and was able to come over and spend the entire evening working on it, and thank God, the Lord chose to use him. Tonight is the first night, in over a month, that I will sleep soundly (and warmly), without wondering if we are going to wake up to a 50 degree house. Brrr. It was so cold this morning, that my kids and I all opted to go without showering. Uggh.
I just read my Bible Verse for today, and I thought I would share it with you:
February 08, 2011
The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
Psalm 12:6, NLT
My prayer for each of you this day is that the Lord reveals Himself personally to you; that you recognize God's work in your life through other people, and that you are as blessed as I am.
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