They say when it rains, it pours. I just didn’t expect the rain to be in my basement.
To quote the well-known book about little Alexander, it has been a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” week.
It started with major surgery on Tuesday for my dear Aunt Beth, who has been a rock for my family in so many ways. She was diagnosed with aggressive liver cancer in recent months, and we have been worried and praying across the miles for the outcome of this procedure.
Then on Thursday, my dad was admitted once again into the hospital for weakness and confusion related to a recurring infection. The infection has been successfully treated, but while there, his doctor reaffirmed what we’ve all known for quite some time. He’s not getting better overall. There may never be any better.
Finally, on Friday morning, while Emma and I were visiting him at the hospital, my son’s number kept popping up on my phone. Assuming it had something to do with the WIFI or a void in snacks (he was home for a snow day), I ignored the interruption until his third attempt.
“Jackson, can I call you back? The nurse is in here talking to us.”
“Um, how long will it be? Cause water is pouring out all over the house, and we don’t know how to stop it!”
“Ok,” I said, recalibrating. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Bring towels!” he yelled just before I hung up.
I packed up the computer on which I had (unsuccessfully) planned to get some work done.
“Sorry, everyone,” I announced. “We’ve gotta go.”
Keeping first things first, I asked Emma what she would like from the hospital coffee shop on the way out the door. (I mean, c’mon… everything was still going to be just as wet if we took an extra five minutes. Might as well caffeinate for the chaos.)
Worst Case Scenario
Later that night, the emergency plumber informed us that we faced what he called “the worst-case scenario.” The repair was beyond his purview because the leak wasn’t inside the house. The main drain line outside the house had collapsed. It would take three to five days, a specialized crew, excavation equipment, and at least a few thousand dollars before we could turn our water back on.
Great. Just great. Thankfully, my sister and brother-in-law live just a couple of streets over and graciously offered to house us.
Since then, the hits have just kept coming. Nothing major, just completely overwhelming annoyances. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ll sum it up in these phrases that have appeared across my various screens:
“…tested positive for COVID, you should probably test, too.”
“…school has been cancelled, once again, due to extreme weather.”
“…leak from under the vehicle. Might be the gas line…”
“…your reservation for tonight has been cancelled.”
“…account is running in low cash mode.”
And oddly enough, the one that finally sent me over the edge:
“This server is experiencing an unknown error. Please try again.”
In Deepest Waters
On Friday evening, once the water had quit flowing, I loaded up six large, black trash bags full of sopping-wet towels, blankets, and spare t-shirts, and I took them over to my parents’ house to wash. They were both staying at the hospital, so I commandeered their laundry room and their bed, hoping to get some much-needed sleep between loads.
Thank you, Aunt Beth, for the not-so-subtle reminder.
As I walked through their living room, my eyes landed on a framed piece of artwork, which I assume had been cross-stitched by my Aunt Beth. Next to a beautiful lighthouse, it read:
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” – Isaiah 43:2
I texted a picture of it to Robert, who declared it “a little too on the nose.”
And yet…
We both know, without a shadow of a doubt, God has been wading in the waters with us.
This week, we’ve seen incredible, mind-blowing miracles, things I can’t even begin to explain.
There have been tangible graces – like unexpected insurance coverage, friends and family who jumped in to help, and many others who prayed and sent us encouraging messages. Then there’s the fact that the water COMPLETELY missed my newly set-up office and all of Robert’s electronics, guitars, and records, even though they were all less than 10 feet away from the waterfall.
More importantly, there have been crazy answers to very personal, years-long prayers I can’t and won’t share publicly. Let’s just say, “God works in mysterious ways.”
This is My Song
Recently, I’ve done a string of podcast interviews about my book, and I just so happened to have a conversation with the host of “Halfway to Sunday” on Friday morning. I had no idea at the time what was about to hit the fan. [sewage joke retracted here.]
She asked me, “What does it mean to you to find joy in the midst of the struggle?”
I told her that for me, joy and peace have always been rooted in the knowledge that Jesus is the fourth Man in whatever fire I face. He walks beside me, and He is there to carry me when I don’t have the strength to stand on my own.
I told her that the same God who has always been faithful in the past is worthy of my trust for whatever I face today.
Boy, oh boy! I had no idea how pertinent that statement would prove to be for the days ahead!
On Sunday morning, I showed up for a last-minute praise team practice, just a little over an hour before the service was set to begin. With all that had transpired, I hadn’t had time to practice before that moment or even glance at the songs we were singing.
Oh. My. Goodness. One lyric after another echoed the songs of my heart.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. He’s been the fourth man in the fire, time after time.”
“Through it all, my eyes are on you. Through it all, it is well. It is well with my soul.”
“I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt, would all go away if you just say the word, but even if you don’t, my hope’s in You alone.”
“Great things He has taught us, great things He has done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son.”
“Yes, I will lift You high in the lowest valley. Yes, I will bless Your Name. Yes, I will sing for joy when my heart is heavy. For all my days, yes, I will.”
As Emma said, I felt “targeted” by the entire set. These are literally my stories. These are my songs.
On the hard days that turn into hard weeks,
My hope remains intact.
My joy cannot be taken.
My peace cannot be stolen.
My foundation remains unshaken.
Why? Because no matter the flood or the fire, I find my strength in Christ alone. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my ever-present Help in times of trouble.
God is good, all the time. Even on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”