Pray continually...God's got this!

So we had a water leak at the Wood home. It began to show up about 6 months ago. It had doubled our monthly water bills. We live in a house built on a slab. Kind of the worst case scenario for having a water leak that needs to be fixed. The water line runs under our driveway. If the leak was there we would have to tear the driveway up. If it was in the kitchen area it would mean even more demolition and money spent! We called a plumber and spent quite a bit of money only to be told they couldn’t find the leak. Not the kind of news any homeowner wants to hear! It’s the kind of problem that keeps you up at night and makes you feel sick when you spend too much time thinking about it. And I was beginning to feel very ‘seasick!’

So I did what I should have done at the beginning. I gave our water leak problem to God! I prayed, “Lord, I’m not a plumber, and I don’t play one on television. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you. We are trusting you to fix this leak and/or to provide us with the resources to pay for it.” I began sharing the problem with other Christians asking them to pray about it. (Now, as a quick note………I do not think that praying for a water leak is nearly as important as a prayer request as is praying for someone who needs the Lord or praying for someone who is sick with cancer or praying for a couple whose marriage is collapsing!) But I learned a long time ago that no problem I have is too big for God, and no problem I face is too small for God. So, though I knew it wasn’t the end of the world I gave our water leak to God. Every time I would be tempted to worry about the water leak, I stopped and prayed giving it back to God. (Philippians 4:6, 7)

I asked a Christian friend very knowledgeable about construction for help. He gave me some helpful advice and came over to the house on two occasions. We found a toilet with a leak issue, and I repaired it. The plumber assured me that wasn’t enough to account for the water bills/leakage we had experienced. But, now, the leak seems to be fixed! The water meter isn’t indicating a leak. Water usage in the last two weeks has returned to the level it had been at 6 months ago (before the large bills began to come due!). I’m still not a plumber, and I don’t play one on television, but I am a child of God who gave a problem to my Heavenly Father……and now the problem is solved. Some may say, “It’s just a coincidence.” And I can’t prove them wrong. But I say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

And this experience is simply motivating me to “pray continually.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) I don’t want to worry about anything…..or try to be in control…..I just want to walk with God and trust him. I want to align my life and thinking with him and help others to do the same! (Colossians 3:1-17) If we do that faithfully, our God will take care of all the leaks, the sicknesses, the marriage problems, and the lost-ness plaguing our world! (Ephesians 3:20, 21) Will you join me? We could rephrase the old hymn, “Trust, pray, and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust, pray, and obey!” What do you think?