From Tom
As I have said on our small group videos, I am not very handy, however lately I have been trying to lean into my household problems that require me to use the handyman part of my brain and require skillful use of tools. For me, this has been a big step because usually I just ignore the problems or hope they will go away. Today, I began working on a leaky refrigerator. The water was leaking from the freezer down into the refrigerator and getting into the drawer you put deli meat and cheese. It was also leaking into the vegetable bin and shelves. I went on-line and found what I believe to be the solution, although I won’t know if it stopped the leak until tomorrow.
The solution to fixing the leak said to remove the ice maker and then the back covering of the freezer. There is a hole that the water is supposed to go down that can freeze up and prevent the water from properly draining. As I began just working on the freezer and making progress, I began singing the Lincoln Brewster song “The Power of Your Love.” Then I hit a snag and for a little while thought I had broken the refrigerator. I started getting frustrated, cursing under my breath (okay, not under my breath but out loud). I stopped though and remembered a verse from Philippians 4:6 which says, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” I stopped for 15 seconds and asked for God’s help. Pretty soon after I was moving again and realized I hadn’t broken the fridge. I followed the rest of the instructions from the internet and put the fridge back together.
This for me was spiritual growth. All growth is spiritual growth when we are living connected to Jesus Christ. Jesus doesn’t want me feeling like a failure and idiot before every household project. Through this exercise I was moving from someone who thinks and feels he can’t solve problems around the house to someone who can. I experienced God’s love leaning into a problem, knowing I was getting better at a skill I am lacking in. This growth came from doing, from engaging a problem. Whenever we engage a problem we grow and when we connect that growth to God, it is spiritual growth.
