Guess What's Happening in My Basement

Cold air gripped me the moment I crawled out of bed. Our furnace had died. 

My handy husband made several good attempts to fix it, while I stayed wrapped in my soft afghan, sipping a hot cup of coffee. I figured I’d soon enjoy a comfy, warm house again!

Instead, my nose and toes grew colder. I threw another blanket over me that wintry day, but I couldn't escape the chilly sensation. It triggered a burdensome thought. How do the homeless survive these freezing temperatures without adequate food and clothing?  With my bible open, Jesus’ words fueled my discomfort, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes…” (Matthew 25:35-36 MSG).

What Do You REALLY Need?

My needs change daily. Friends tell me I need to go on a cruise. Compelling online messages inform me I need the newest spring fashions, Botox, a steak dinner, a massage, and better toys and apparel for my pet!  Last week, peering out my window, I complained, “I need sunshine!”

Sound superfluous? How about these needs expressed by women friends? “I need the man of my dreams, a baby, more intimacy with my husband, friendship, healing, a successful ministry, more money.” Needs are as numerous and diverse as people in the world.

What do you really need?
                                                                                                                                                         

Many years ago, I discovered a shocking truth in God’s Word: “I lack nothing!” (Psalm 23:1) Because God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-caring; He is enough. He is sufficient. With Him I need nothing else! (Psalm 73:25-26)  So, why do I sometimes become burdened, sometimes driven, by an “I need” mentality?

Why I'm Still Married

After two months of marriage, I frequently threatened divorce. My deep-seated mistrust of men, including John, caused many heated arguments. Such as when my husband grabbed my sewing machine and hurled it to the floor. I stormed out of our apartment, crying.  Staying married seemed as far fetched as climbing  Mt. Everest!

Our good friends, Tom and Sue, flashed through my mind. Their marriage modeled joy and respect, something I wanted.

Sue held my hand as I spilled exaggerated stories about John’s faults. I swallowed my pride, returned home, yet held onto my resentment.

A week later, our friends invited us to their church. After one too many hymns, I mumbled something to John about wishing we had never come.

Pastor Andy called the next day and visited us. He shared about his wild hippie days, his broken marriage, and threatening his wife with a knife. What kind of a preacher is this? I wondered. Then he explained how God transformed him and saved their marriage.

Miracles Still Happen!

As a young child I entertained some incredulous ideas: chocolate milk comes from brown cows; crippled people are contagious; swallowing a watermelon seed will grow a watermelon in my tummy. Children believe the unbelievable!

That’s why I enjoy teaching kids’ Sunday school. They enthusiastically believe Jesus’ supernatural works:  feeding 5,000 folks with two fish and five loaves; raising the dead to life; healing lepers; turning water into fine wine! Our faith increases as we marvel at Jesus’ unusual, illogical, extraordinary works.

Several months ago my child-like faith was challenged, again, to reach beyond the printed pages of the Bible. My husband’s acute symptoms of a blocked primary artery invited lots of fearful “what ifs” which rumbled my faith.