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Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.
Genesis 22:13-14 (NIV)

I had always thought of myself as an independent woman capable of managing a house and living on my own. I had done it for a year and a half as a divorcee.

When I married Vic he took the lead as the “man of the house” taking care of the maintenance and upkeep of our home, car, and lawn.

Throughout his 15 month battle with lung cancer, one of his biggest concerns was for me. Would I be ok? Would I be able to manage the house? Over and over again I assured him that I would be ok and he had nothing to worry about.

When he died it only took thirty-seven days for my promise to be put to the test.

It was a busy Sunday afternoon and I was ready to relax when I realized the house was feeling quite chilly. The comfort level was much colder than normal for a spring evening.

I walked to the thermostat where, despite it being set at sixty-nine degrees, the room temperature was only sixty degrees. There was only one explanation. Grabbing a flashlight I headed to the basement to check the fuel tank where I discovered I had run out of fuel.

The thought that I had let Vic down was overwhelming.

I promised I would be ok and yet here I was, scrambling to put heat in my house all because of my lack of attention to household details. I grappled with frustration mixed with anger, all directed to myself. Why didn’t I pay closer attention to the fuel gauge?

This problem, albeit troublesome, reminded me of the many blessings within the problem.

Blessing #1

My husband was loyal to one fuel supplier, so when I called they not only knew me but was aware of Vic’s passing. Their compassion was evident when they scheduled an immediate delivery without an extra charge for an emergency delivery.

Blessing #2

The office offered to send me a printout of the past year’s fuel deliveries to assist me in better planning moving forward.

Blessing #3

Because I had run out of fuel it meant my furnace would need to be restarted and possibly the line primed. Vic never let us run out of fuel so, consequently, there was never an opportunity for me to learn how to do that, even if I had wanted to. Over the years, we had formed a friendship with the facilities manager at the camp I work at and he was happy to make the long trip to my house to restart my furnace.

Blessing #4

God had my back way before that April evening. It was no coincidence that my husband had chosen the fuel supplier he did. It was not by happenstance that it was a small family-run business that understood the struggles a new widow faces. And it certainly was not luck that brought us together with Duane and Mary.

Just as God provided the ram in Isaac’s place centuries ago, He was my Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide) as well.

Without the problem, I would have missed the blessings.

What are you facing today that has you grappling with frustration, anger, anxiety, or fear? Let me encourage you to read the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. Then look for the blessings in the problem. Write them down and you might be surprised at how richly God provided before there was even a problem.

Thank you, Lord, that You are our Jehovah Jireh, our provider in all things. When circumstances take us by surprise and we wonder what to do, help us look to You for our provision. Then open our eyes to see the blessings.