Molehill

Help them be a clean vessel.

We first noticed the hardwood floor buckling a little in front of the dishwasher – the floor popped a little when we stood in front of the dishwasher.

After a week of my not doing anything, it hadn’t gotten better. I looked under the dishwasher while it was running and saw a slow but steady drip coming from where the heating element protrudes from the bottom of the tub.

I ordered a nut online, received it in a few days, and replaced it easily. The spot didn’t leak anymore, but more spots did: the door was almost flooding water.

In Home Depot, God showed me our new dishwasher. We had driven the pickup truck to the store, hoping I could take the dishwasher home and install it.

But times change – few people today want to take appliances home with them, so stores don’t inventory them, appliances now come from distribution centers and “an appointment” has to be scheduled for delivery.

The guy who sold us the dishwasher on Friday said it could be delivered Tuesday and that someone would call Monday to schedule a time. Monday someone called to tell me it couldn’t be delivered until Thursday and someone would call Wednesday.

I didn’t say anything to the caller, but I mentioned to Carey how annoying that was.

Wednesday someone called again. This time to say it couldn’t be delivered until the following Tuesday and that someone would call Monday to schedule a time.

This time I asked, “Why would I believe you this time?”

Carey asked me if I had asked God why I was getting upset about this – I usually don’t let things like this bother me. I hadn’t asked, but I did and He showed me places I have wanted people to do what they say they are going to do. I want them to be on time. I want them to do the right thing.

When they don’t, I want vengeance – or at least justice.

During this same time frame I heard a podcast by Francis Chan in which he said something like, “I saw pictures of those ISIS guys about to behead those Christians and I wondered, ‘God loves everyone. How can I love those ISIS guys the way God does?’ I just don’t think I can.”

I thought of times I have strived for perfection and the times I have expected perfection in others. Times I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins though I judge the sins of others. How it takes conscious effort for me to remember there is a judge and He is not me. It has to be the Him in me that loves even the most annoying circumstance – mountain or molehill.

I thanked God for showing me the dishwasher in the store, for the provision to buy it, then for beating me over the head with it!

You can’t remove all the need in the world today but there are lots of ways you can help. Ask God to hit you with something today.