I get and respond to a lot of e-mails each and everyday. This is complicated by the fact I am not big fan of computers or for that matter e-mails. To me they are just an unnecessary “evil” we have to deal with.
I even get e-mails from my wife. I share a house with this woman. I eat dinner with this woman. I sleep with this woman. We even . . . well, I digress.
This has been a rough week for me. Stop back in oh say. . twenty years and you will know why. However, my wife sent me this e-mail on Friday. I liked it. Hope you do as well.
Blessing Dressed in Crisis
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28
At a summer workcamp, a work crew was making repairs to the interior drywall of the home of two women: an elderly mother on oxygen therapy and her daughter. In the course of the work, the crew had to move the women’s washer and dryer. When the washer was moved away from the wall, one of the incoming water lines broke. Water began to spray everywhere and the floor quickly became flooded. The members of the work crew frantically tried to locate the water shut-off valve, but could not find it. The crew realized that the source of the home’s water was a well, so they turned off the electricity to the home to shut down the pump. The water from the broken pipe stopped spraying.
Unfortunately, the machine that delivered the mother’s oxygen therapy was also powered by electricity and had been shut down when the crew had turned off the home’s electricity. The crew finally located the water shut-off valve, so they were able to promptly turn back on the electricity to the home; however, the oxygen machine would not function. Unable to get the machine working again, the crew summoned the paramedics. When they arrived, they found that the machine had been malfunctioning before the electricity had been turned off, and they were able to provide the mother with a new, reliable oxygen machine.
The work crew was upset, quite understandably, feeling responsible for causing the crisis that had threatened the home, as well as the mother’s health. Slowly, another perspective began to dawn on them. As it turned out, the water pipe that broke had not been installed correctly to begin with. Two pipes had been simply glued together without any sort of connector between them. Any movement of the washer would have easily caused the pipes to come apart. The local co-sponsor of the camp replaced the substandard plumbing later that day. By shutting down the electricity, the mother learned that her oxygen machine wasn’t functioning properly.
In the end, the crew realized that God had used their presence at the house – and what were scary moments of crisis – to provide the real help that the women needed. The problems would almost certainly have occurred anyway. Fortunately, the work crew was present and able to help the women deal with situations that would have been devastating had they been alone. At the end of the day, both the women and the work crew were certain that they had seen God at work, bringing blessing to everyone involved.
Today’s story is just a reminder that our God is big enough to orchestrate blessing out of a crisis. Whatever trials you face today, may this story be a reminder to place your trust in Him!
I even get e-mails from my wife. I share a house with this woman. I eat dinner with this woman. I sleep with this woman. We even . . . well, I digress.
This has been a rough week for me. Stop back in oh say. . twenty years and you will know why. However, my wife sent me this e-mail on Friday. I liked it. Hope you do as well.
Blessing Dressed in Crisis
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28
At a summer workcamp, a work crew was making repairs to the interior drywall of the home of two women: an elderly mother on oxygen therapy and her daughter. In the course of the work, the crew had to move the women’s washer and dryer. When the washer was moved away from the wall, one of the incoming water lines broke. Water began to spray everywhere and the floor quickly became flooded. The members of the work crew frantically tried to locate the water shut-off valve, but could not find it. The crew realized that the source of the home’s water was a well, so they turned off the electricity to the home to shut down the pump. The water from the broken pipe stopped spraying.
Unfortunately, the machine that delivered the mother’s oxygen therapy was also powered by electricity and had been shut down when the crew had turned off the home’s electricity. The crew finally located the water shut-off valve, so they were able to promptly turn back on the electricity to the home; however, the oxygen machine would not function. Unable to get the machine working again, the crew summoned the paramedics. When they arrived, they found that the machine had been malfunctioning before the electricity had been turned off, and they were able to provide the mother with a new, reliable oxygen machine.
The work crew was upset, quite understandably, feeling responsible for causing the crisis that had threatened the home, as well as the mother’s health. Slowly, another perspective began to dawn on them. As it turned out, the water pipe that broke had not been installed correctly to begin with. Two pipes had been simply glued together without any sort of connector between them. Any movement of the washer would have easily caused the pipes to come apart. The local co-sponsor of the camp replaced the substandard plumbing later that day. By shutting down the electricity, the mother learned that her oxygen machine wasn’t functioning properly.
In the end, the crew realized that God had used their presence at the house – and what were scary moments of crisis – to provide the real help that the women needed. The problems would almost certainly have occurred anyway. Fortunately, the work crew was present and able to help the women deal with situations that would have been devastating had they been alone. At the end of the day, both the women and the work crew were certain that they had seen God at work, bringing blessing to everyone involved.
Today’s story is just a reminder that our God is big enough to orchestrate blessing out of a crisis. Whatever trials you face today, may this story be a reminder to place your trust in Him!
posted by Ralph at 9:01 PM
4 Comments:
Char likes you. She liked that message and wanted you to maybe like it too. Mrs. Jim cut one out for me, it sits bedside waiting for me to read it.
I wish those workmen were around a few years ago. Thieves stole my mother-in-law's washer and dryer. They just cut the water hoses without turning it off.
Her house flooded pretty bad as she was out of town.
..
When you find the meaning of that devotion for us, let us know. I will check back to see.
..
Guess you got the word I'm semi-retired from blogging for a while. Any new posts [there seem to be quite a few] will be on my photo place until Octobder. We will be in Scotland and Ireland a couple of weeks in the middle of September so probably none even there then.
..
Now that's just plain nice Ralph, and very sweet for Char to send it to you. Also sweet for you to pass it along to us!!
I agree that God's presence was there to help everyone involved that day!
What a beautiful message, and apparently timely as well. May things get better soon.
These 'blessings' are sometimes very hard to recognize. Eh Ralph?
btw, I've had that same work crew in my house.
Post a Comment
<< Home