Thank God for the Water Leak!

I frantically searched through every drawer and cabinet trying to locate my expensive paring knife. I knew I had used it last evening, so it had to be somewhere.

After 25 minutes, I opened the trash cabinet and viewed only yukky, disgusting garbage. I sighed but knew if I didn’t rummage thru it, I’d always wonder, did I mistakenly throw it away?          

 

So I took out another trash bag and began transferring coffee grounds, banana skins and other unsavory disposables. About half-way down, I exclaimed, “Eureka!” There among the garbage lay my cherished paring knife! 

My immediate thought was, thank God for last night’s rain! If it hadn’t rained last night, we would have walked up and discarded our garbage and my knife would have been gone forever.

Does it seem strange to you to thank God for the frustrations in life?

A pastor we knew, began his sermon by lamenting the fact that his family had a horrible week. It started with a water leak in the bathroom sink which resulted in totally destroying the drywall behind the cabinet. When he and his friend opened up the wall to replace the damage, he descovered a poisonous snake behind the wall. Thankfully, they were able to kill the snake and complete their renovation.

“Now,” I thought. “he’ll praise God for the water leak and this going to be a great biblical iullustration.” Sadly he didn’t. 

Why, you ask, would someone ever praise God for a water leak?

Well, this pastor had two small children. I can’t imagine what unthinkable tragedy could have occurred if the children had been in the room alone when the snake emerged.

Even in the midst of tribulating times, God protects! God doesn’t always have to perform miracles to protect his people. This probably happens to us on a daily basis, and yet we haven’t a clue.

Perhaps you’re running late for work and then get caught in an aggravating, annoying traffic jam? Praise God – the accident wasn’t yours for you turned back for your keys. What at first was an inconvenient experience, then became a unbeknownst blessing.

Now how does this pertain to healthy living? It does in all ways: mentally, physically and spiritually!

Mentally – know God protects those he loves

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord. thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Why do we fret and get upset over small things? God doesn’t purposely stress us out. We do that just fine on our own. There’s always a purpose. Knowing Scripture and trusting Him helps. God constantly watches over you and doesn’t want harm to come to you – even if it means an inconvenient delay. 

Physically – God WILL take care of you:

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! (Luke 12:24)

I used to advise my patients who worried constantly, “What could be the worst-case scenario?” We’d discuss outrageous plots until they realized the odds of that happening were remote at best. Aim for high godly standards in all of life’s aspects, but ultimately entrust control to the Lord.

Spiritually: It takes faith

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5,6)

Trusting God even though we can’t see Him is called faith. Trusting that His ways are better than our stubborn ways. Our job isn’t to control every aspect of our life but to worship God.

I’ll continue to praise God for last night’s rain.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)