The Other Shoe

We had enjoyed a good morning at church. We had just eaten lunch and I was looking forward to a nap and an afternoon of rest. And then the knock came, "Can you check your hot water heater?" Our neighbor asked. "There is a leak downstairs."

My husband went to work, and sure enough, our water heater was leaking, big time. We'd just had a series of major expenditures, and now this.

"Great," I thought. "Now I won't get a nap. Now we have to spend more money. When's the next shoe gonna drop?"

My husband did a lot of draining and mopping and cleaning. And then we went to Home Depot. We realized we could not fix the problem now, so he put in a temporary fix and at his insistence, I lay down to take a late nap. As I lay there, I thought, 

You know, maybe it's good when the other shoe drops. That firmly plants both my feet on the ground. I know more about what I'm dealing with and can take it to the Lord in prayer. I can start learning how to cope. I can call on others to pray with me. I can ask for help.

That thought was extremely comforting then, and continues to be now. Maybe I need to stop fearing the other shoe. Maybe I need to work more on grounding myself in God and in His word. 

When's the next shoe going to drop? Who knows. Life is full of struggle, and always will be until Jesus returns or calls us home. But God, in His word, promises to provide for all of our needs. That's firm ground, ground I want to stand on with both feet.