Well, a puddle around the bottom of our hot water heater was anything but a blessing. Fortunately, what promised to be a headache instead became an opportunity to see how God provides.
I suppose I should have gotten rid of the old hot water heater before it started rusting. The person who installed it wrote the date on its side, so I knew it was already twelve years old. For the first three or four years I was good about draining it to remove all of the sediment that forms at the bottom. But as the years passed I became a little less diligent about maintaining the unit. And then I stopped draining it altogether. So I shouldn't have been surprised at the ring of water forming around the bottom of the unit as it had finally rusted through.
What was surprising was the estimate for replacing the unit. I know I didn't pay that much twelve years ago. The cost of homeownership has definitely gone up in a way that seems somewhat unfair and with all that's going on during this ride we call life, the last thing I wanted was to have to pay for a repair. Fortunately my Provider is always a step or two ahead.
There have been a number of times in my life where I found myself with an unexpected sum of money that wound up being just what we needed for a repair or for some other unexpected event. This time was no different. We had a lump sum sitting in the bank that we were able to set aside for remodeling but somehow we just couldn't get the project going. It was like a little voice kept saying, "It's not the right time," as we kept being redirected away from our chosen path to a much different path.
As a result of not being able to start that project we had exactly what was quoted for the surprise repair, right down to the penny. We paid cash for our new hot water heater. There was no need to borrow nor did we have to dig into savings. The money was there right when we needed it. What was a surprise to us was not a surprise to God and He directed us to the path we needed to be on.
God provided once again. And you know what? I believe He will provide for the remodeling we have planned. He is also ready to step in the next time we need to make repairs. In fact, He has already provided for the long overdue removal of a tree in our backyard. Once again we will be able to pay cash for a big project and I thank God for providing for us this summer.
Now I know that some of you will dismiss this as simply a result of my wife and my hard work and as a result of good money management. That's ok for you to think that and both of those things were involved here to some degree. But I've seen time and time again where what is provided goes beyond the monthly normal and what we could do on our own. I've seen coincidence after coincidence that go beyond expectation. Most of all I've seen God promise and then deliver. I take comfort in knowing that this is what He does for His children.
How is God blessing you today?
