Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Lesson of the week: how an overflowing toilet and a lying teen have humbled me and reminded me of God's perspective.

We bought a new house. Which is really an old house. We are having a lot of work done: painting, two-sided fireplace put in, new shower in a bathroom, and various repairs that are too tedious to mention. All this is happening before we move in, so periodically (read: daily) I go over to see the progress. Yesterday I saw things coming together in a way that made me think we actually could live in this house. 

While I was talking to my painter in the living room, he noticed that the carpet he was standing on was wet. We traced the source of water to an overflowing toilet on the other side of the wall, where the bathroom floor was a vast puddle and the water had found its way under the wall into the carpeted living room. Panic ensued. 

After the water had been turned off, the mess cleaned up, and fans set up to dry the carpet, I left workers in place to continue progress on the rest of what needed to be done. 

Later that day our family had a gathering of sorts around some discrepancies in teen story-telling. (Read: lying) No matter what the infraction, I find that these issues are heart-breaking, and I've tried to explain to our son that when you lie to someone, it makes all the good in that relationship feel like manipulation, at worst, or questionable, at best. 

So I cried a lot yesterday.

Then, this morning, as I continued my slow trek through Isaiah, praying for my son, and wondering if we've made a mistake with him, the house, or other things, I saw the blue highlighted words through the chapters that indicate qualities and names of God. I was reminded that God is:

- The LORD my Maker
- Sovereign LORD
- My Redeemer
- The LORD Almighty
- The first and the last
- A righteous God and Savior
- My King
- The Holy One

There may or may not be a lesson in or a reason for our suffering, as it were. A sin to confront. Character to build. Stories to share. But I do know that God wants to be found, He wants to be known, and He WILL be glorified. 

I'm reminded that He loves me and is high and lifted up, seated on His throne, ruling the universe and my crazy little life. He sees my tears and hears my voice. And He transcends it all. And He says, 

"I, even I, am he who comforts you." (Isaiah 51:12) 

Yes, and amen. 

"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God." (Isaiah 50:10)