Water, Water Everywhere

One of the most gratifying things I hear from Daily Word readers is that “today’s message was meant just for me.” I receive this feedback often, and it shows me how the efforts of the Daily Word team help and serve our readers. But I had not had that particular experience for myself with a daily message until one difficult day several weeks ago.

We were away from home for a few days. While our house was empty, a pipe burst, water poured in, and our house flooded. When we got the news early in the morning, my husband and I sprang into quick-response mode. There was a flurry of calls to the insurance and restoration companies, a frantic plan to get home quickly, and all the other urgent things that must be attended to in the wake of a disaster.

It wasn’t until later that I read the day’s Daily Word message. As I read the words describing spiritual comfort, I felt the message had indeed been for me. The message read in part, “At times my stability may be shaken … I allow myself feelings of sadness and worry, even as I believe this too shall pass.”

I realized as I read the message how well its words reflected my experience. I had indeed been shaken after getting the call and receiving the initial assessment. And I felt upset and worried as I wondered about the amount of damage we had sustained and what kind of repairs would be needed and how long they would take. At the same time, though, I felt calm, understanding this would be a temporary situation, we would have the help and expertise we needed, and God was in the midst of it all.

This is one of the greatest comforts of spiritual living, the ability to be temporarily disturbed by unsettling news without being derailed by it, knowing with understanding faith that whatever we’re called to face has come to pass, and we can find our comfort and peace in God.

In the days that followed the flood, we got our repair work underway. Our house remains in disarray and we’ve got more to deal with than we’d like, but we have what we need to get through it. We’re getting necessary help and services and are keeping our spirits high with good humor and positivity.

Of course, this is not a circumstance I would have chosen, and it’s certainly not how I thought we’d be spending the summer. But staying focused on the impermanence of the difficulty and trusting in the presence of God is keeping me calm and patient.

And Daily Word continues to be my companion. The word of the day when our house flooded was comfort. The next day’s message was about letting go and letting God. Reading the words “[Letting go and letting God] is trusting that if I make the necessary worldly efforts, I will be met with the help and support I need to keep going … I feel God at work in these serendipitous happenings, and with gratitude, I accept them as the blessings they are.” Amen to that.

Through your seasons of ease and your seasons of struggle, I pray you keep Daily Word close by as a companion to see you through every circumstance and life’s inevitable ups and downs. May you find the truth of God in its pages and let that truth be the truth of your life.