About two weeks ago, I received a box from Alltel. It was my wife’s old phone (the defective one that they claimed was not covered by their warranty). It refuses to charge, so I spent the next few days hacking apart her old Nokia phone so that we could charge her batteries.
Yes, batteries (plural).
You see, when her phone started having problems a few weeks back, the Alltel store initially told us that the problem was with the battery. They’d happily replace it for $40.
No way I’m spending $40 for a battery.
So, I got one off eBay for $6.
Problem solved; that is, until the phone refused to charge with the new battery. The phone had an internal problem with its charging port and thus we sent it back.
And received it back. Now we had a phone that lacked charging capability and two batteries. Buying that extra battery turned out to be a blessing; allowing her to use her phone while the other one charged.
Just as I was finishing up the makeshift charger, my car broke down.
It wouldn’t start after driving from home to my office on a Monday morning. But after a few hours (after cooling back to, well, cold), it started right up with no problems.
I got to get to know one of the auto parts people really well during these next few days.
Just as I was getting ready to have some time to diagnose what exactly was wrong with the car, our home air-conditioner quit.
Our three year old central AC unit.
Three more days of diagnosis and I finally called the repair company this past Monday.
But now, I had joy.
Joy is a bizarre thing. It definitely is an attribute of God because you cannot pin it down, manufacture, or fake it. You simply accept it.
I had joy for many reasons.
The past few days I was able to spend more time with my wife due to the broken down car.
I got to spend a bit of time with my dad on the phone (he’s a former ac tech), and through his prompts, I was able to (correctly) diagnose exactly where the machine was broken (an easily replaceable part that only costs $20).
Sure, we paid a professional to repair it, but because of my diagnosis, they cut down the price substantially.
Now, when my neighbors’ AC units shut down we know where to look. Our loss is their gain.
And, unexpectedly (cause I’m really stingy), I’m filled with joy.
Whew. I really appreciate us owning two WORKING cars.
But even if the phone wouldn’t charge, the AC was still off, and my car was still in my driveway, I have a feeling that I’d still have joy.
We’ve been talking about blooming where God has planted us. This week, I want us to spend some time wrestling with finding unexpected joy in how God meets our needs.
No matter where we’re planted.
Have a safe 4th of July and don’t do EXTREMELY stupid and dangerous things like my brother and I did when we were (slightly) younger.
We’ll be cooking up burgers and hotdogs (and a few bratwurst) starting around 7pm at the white house (317 South West street in Culpeper). We’ll watch the town fireworks display from the porch a little after 9pm. See you there!
Joe
Related Verses
James 1:2-18
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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