Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
July 2016 found me on one of the “chutes” I mentioned in an earlier post. After spending a great Fourth of July weekend with my family at camp, I became sick with Strep throat. I had no energy and felt horrible. Sunday morning my fever had finally broken and I was starting to feel a little better.
I knew something was wrong when there was no hot water. So, I went to my basement to check things out. What I found was overwhelming. The shock was so intense I almost fell down, so, I sat down on the steps instead and cried. I cried out to God for wisdom, understanding and what I should do.
That morning I found two feet of water in my basement with stuff floating from the office, library, and children’s play area. As I scanned the rest of the basement from the steps I saw the freezer and refrigerator on their sides with the doors open. I just couldn’t believe this. flood-picture
After having a good cry and gathering myself together, I knew I had to call for help. My first call was to the Lord. Then to the plumber to help come up with a plan to remove all of this water, for a pump of some sort was going to be needed.
God’s peace came over me after talking to a friend and asking her to pray. God put the words of a song “Blessed be the name of the Lord – The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away” in my heart. I began singing this song and such peace.
When I talked with my son we could both say, “It’s just stuff. I’m alive. He’s alive. We’re doing okay. Life is what matters.” These were the thoughts that kept me going in the days ahead. I left the plumber pumping out water and went to church. He told me there was nothing else I could do, I should just go to church. So that is what I did. I went to church and praised God for His amazing grace.
A couple of days later after the insurance adjuster said we could start the cleanup we were amazed at the things that did not get destroyed. The books that were saved were books for women’s ministry, counseling, prayer, and relationships. This was amazing to us as we were in the early stages of starting a non-profit ministry to single moms and their children. These were the books that were going to be needed in this ministry.
God just does some of the most amazing things. It has been a good reminder to us that the Lord God gives us stuff and He also will take it away. It is when we see the stuff as His and hold onto it lightly that we can then say “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I am so thankful that He had given me such peace that it was easy to say during cleanup “pitch”.
So when trials come your way and you lose everything or most of your things, are you able to say with Job, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”?
Prayer:
Father, I am so thankful that you give and you take away but that you always remain faithful and true. You never leave us and you always do what is best for us. You give us what we need and remove the things that keep us from You. May we always remember and be ready to say. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Thank you for being my loving Father. In Jesus Name Amen.