“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name;and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit.”
Isaiah 54:5-6 (RSV)
Yesterday presented many new things to pray about, all within a twelve our period. My hair stylist texted me at 1 am to cancel my appointment because she was in a motorcycle accident, and underwent surgery yesterday morning. Her surgery went well, but it certainly brought back memories of my son’s motorcycle accident a year ago this month.
Then I encountered a new problem. I opened my sliding patio door in the morning for fresh air, but then it wouldn’t close again. Something blocked it from closing, leaving it open two inches. After searching the door tracks up and down, and trying to clear out anything that might be jamming or blocking the track, it still wouldn’t close. Having a door that won’t close is not good on so many levels of concern.
I prayed and asked God for wisdom in what to do or who to call. My neighbor’s husband is handy so I called there, but he wasn’t home. I called a local handyman that was recommended on my neighborhood website, but he wasn’t available until after 2 pm.
I thought about all the women I know who have handy husbands, who can probably fix a jammed sliding door, and how fortunate they were. I started verbalizing all my grief to God, telling Him that I have no one to help me. My son, Michael, is very handy, but he lives over 900 miles away and my two nephews are handy but they live about 30 miles away.
Then I recalled all the times that something needed repair in the past, and how God always sent me the right person at the right time, and the problem was solved. In the midst of my anxiety, I decided to put my trust in Jesus. I asked Him to be my husband and handyman, and to fix my jammed patio door.
Meanwhile, my neighbor’s husband came home around 1 pm and he stopped by to check my door. When I went to show him how the door was jammed, I was stunned! The door glided all the way without a problem. An hour earlier at 12 pm, it absolutely would not close at all.
No one touched the jammed door between 12 and 1, so what happened in that hour?
Then I ran across this scripture,
“And in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, My husband.”
(Hosea 2:16)
That day was yesterday and I did call Jesus my husband, as well as the best handyman, ever. When we cling to Him, God will take on the role of our Father, friend, husband, physician, or whatever we need at that time in our lives. He does it because He loves us, and He sees and hears us in distress. He sees our hearts, and when we pray, He turns our grief into joy. The psalmist says it best,
“When anxiety was great within me, His consolation brought me joy.”(Psalm 94:19)
Lord, you are all good and powerful, yet you care for all of us, as we bring our needs before you, turning our anxiety into joy. Thank you for being all we need, as we cling to you in trust and faith. Amen