Garth Brooks has that super famous, catchy song, "Unanswered Prayers." I like that song only every time, and I mean every time I hear it I think to myself, "That's not true. He does answer all prayers. It's just that some answers are no."
But aren't there times when you ask something and you wish that He would just tell you that the answer was no? Like this last weekend....
I get home from work, walk into my house and I smell gas. Not the human kind. We are talking the kind that kills people. It wasn't super strong, but my nose is really sensitive and I definitely could smell something.
I check the pilot lights on my oven and hot water heater. Both were fine. I open a few windows just to give the smell somewhere to go. Remember, I get home from work after everyone is asleep and so I go around checking for signs of life. Luckily, no-one seems dead.
Maybe it is just my visiting sister's family that smells. They do have a little boy who doesn't always wear socks and has been known to go commando from time to time. Perhaps it was him? But I know stinky feet (4 boys) and that was not what I was smelling.
I couldn't figure it out. I went into all the bedrooms to check for life and to crack the windows. Then I prayed.
"Heavenly Father, if there is a gas leak, I need to know. You are going have to make it clear to me. Otherwise I am going to go to sleep and pray that I wake up."
I proceeded to get ready for bed.
"What if my worrying is the sign and I am ignoring it or brushing it off as my inner voice." Wouldn't it just be easier if he said, "No, silly girl. There is no gas leak. Rest, Stef, all will be okay." or if the letters N-O appeared on the foggy bathroom mirror?
So I said another quick prayer, "I am gonna assume that no answer is a no answer. Amen...oh and by the way, please don't let us all die. Appreciate it."
Obviously I didn't die. No one did. But I almost died when I opened up the garage door and was overwhelmed by gas fumes. The gas container for the lawn mower was having issues and that is what I was smelling. It was awful. But we got it fixed.
So the answer was, "No, you aren't going to die. Yes, you smell gas."
"And there's nothing wrong with commando."
(I added that last line, in case you were wondering.)
9 comments:
I am glad it wasn't something much worse. My 82 yr old aunt's house always reeked of natural gas. Yet the gas company claimed they couldn't smell it. How she has lived in that house with that smell for the last 3 years is beyond me. They FINALLY found 3 leaks last month.. Umm yeah ya think..
Gas can be some scary stuff! Glad that it wasn't something much more serious and dangerous!
So glad it wasn't something worse. They say the carbon moxonide gas that kills doesn't usually have a smell....really scary.
I lived in a student house that smelled of gas constantly. Eventually we got someone in and they discovered a major gas leak which led to workmen digging up the floor in the house. We could all have easily died.
I have a good sense of smell too, and I guess it's a blessing...But I've been in the very situation you describe many times, and I ended up sniffing through the house like a police dog until I was able to find the culprit.
I say: Good for you that you were able to make yourself go to sleep! (I probably would have been up all night, sniffing and worrying...)
=)
Oh how scary! I don't think that I would have been able to go to sleep that night. I probably would have woke up everyone in the house to go on a search for the smell. Glad that it wasn't anything too serious and that it was in the garage.
Did Heavenly Father REALLY say there's nothing wrong with going commando? Cuz I think you might have misinterpreted that one. You slay me! Thank you for the blog award, by the way. I was gone and without internet, so I didn't have a chance to reply. You rock, crazy commando lover. :)
Oh, I would LOVE it if God talked to us that directly...I'm always saying that. How do I know for SURE God? You HAVE to give me a better SIGN! I love that Garth Brooks so but I agree that God really does answer all our prayers, just not always in the way we wanted (or thought we wanted) them answered.
So glad you didn't die! ;)
Very glad you're not all dead! I generally hate no answers but that's a good one.
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