“ In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
One of my days this past week proved those words true in my life. I had many plans for the warm and humid day, but teaching me patience and gratefulness was on God’s radar for me.
Three of our youngest grandchildren were staying with us while their parents were away, and I began the morning with the automatic washing machine “doing its thing”. When I heard the beeping sound coming from the laundry room, I assumed that the load was complete. As I approached the washer, I saw some flashing numbers and letters warning me that something was wrong. “E04” seemed to be staring right at me. Oh, not today, I thought. As I tried to open the door of the washer, I realized it was true. It was locked up tight, and I would have to do some investigating to find the problem.
I dug through the drawer under the washer until I found “the book” that came with the appliances. I said a small thank you that I had filed it away in a safe and known place! I found the page entitled “Troubleshooting of Minor Faults”. The fault listed under E04 said that the washing solution had not drained completely, and that the indicator light rinse would be lit. It warned me that the cause could be too many suds or that the pump is blocked. O.K., that doesn’t sound too minor to me!
As I read further it began to list what my “actions” should be. Use less detergent…I already do that. Reading on it got to what I needed to know: Clean the water drainage pipe and drain the hose. That is when I got my husband, Dan, involved. It took a few moments for me and the grandkids to find him outside, but when we did he said he would be there shortly. He kept his promise and showed up within twenty minutes. Because he thought maybe the hose was clogged with suds, he encouraged me to run the cycle again, to see if then the stubborn door would open. We did. Nothing.
A few hours later, after bringing the wet vac into the house, the drain hose was emptied successfully and the culprit was found inside. A tiny little wooden stick had been lodged inside the drain pipe, and would not allow the hose to empty so the door could be safely opened. Crazy what little things can interrupt our planned days from going smoothly.
Comfort comes from another scripture in the Old Testament: “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 This encompasses our whole lifetime, and covers things that are so much bigger and worrisome than a tiny stick in the washer. Grateful we should be for His love and watch care over us. Do take time each day to be thankful and to give praise where praise is due.
Because of all the rain these past couple months, our rhubarb patch is growing leaps and bounds. One of my favorite recipes for this time of year is a simple rhubarb cobbler. Enjoy!
Rhubarb Cobbler
Put 4 cups of cut up rhubarb into a greased 9 by 9 OR 7 by 11 pan.
Cream together like pie crust:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Then blend in 1/2 cup of milk and spread it on top of the rhubarb.
Mix 1 scant cup of sugar, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle it on top of the batter.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over the whole mixture in pan.
Bake at 350 or 375 for about an hour. Dessert should be lightly browned and rhubarb soft.
Delicious by itself, or add whipped cream or ice cream on top.
***Can use apples instead of rhubarb when that season arrives!
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