Run to Jesus

Hey everyone;
We’re missing my (Rosel) favorite season - fall. The beautiful and colourful oranges, reds and yellows in the foliage, the crisper air, the lengthening evenings, ahhhh, all signs of relief from the heat of summer.
The rains are late in coming; as I wrote last week, we had one down pour, but the daily, almost torrential rains is what the land and the people are waiting for. Because of the delay, the electricity generating dam up country is at low levels and Bujumbura is on a very tight conservation schedule. For the last week plus, generally, we have power 24 hours on/24 hours off.
A few days ago I was thinking that I’d much rather go without electricity than without running water. Showers have always been important to me; long, relaxing ones, not rushed. Now in this heat, the thought of going to bed in sticky skin and not being able to wash my hands many, many times a day is most unwelcome. But not having running water is also a very real possibility here. I’m getting some where’s with this. The question I was wrestling with is this: in the event there would be no running water for even just half a day, never mind an extended period of time, would I be able to endure this joyfully, patiently, even thankfully!!! with a godly attitude?
I’m reminded of the apostle Paul, who was imprisoned, flogged, exposed to death, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked thrice, hungry, thirsty, cold and naked. Did he grumble and gripe? In 2 Co 1:8 he talks about suffering hardships far beyond his ability to endure, so that he even despaired of life. Sounds pretty dire. But he continues on, stating that this happened so that he would not rely on himself, but on God.
Being thankful seems like a huge stretch, but 1 Thess 5:16 - 18 admonishes me to: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Ouch!!
Heb.12:7 says: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”
2 Ti 2:3 & 4:5: “Endure hardships with us like a good soldier of Christ. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”  You mean I’d still have to serve, in public, humbly, faithfully, joyfully, obediently, the people that the Lord has called us to when I haven’t showered in days and I’m stinky??!!
In contrast to Paul‘s hardships, our “light and momentary troubles” - 2 Co 4:17, sure seem insignificant. I mean, running water and refreshing showers compared to being stoned!!??
But praise be to God, He cares about the smaller ’what if’s’ in our lives too, not just apostle Paul sized hardships. So whether or not we will be faced with no running water, one thing I do know without a doubt is this:  when Jesus, in 2 Co 12:9 said, “My grace is sufficient for you…” He meant what He said. The rest is up to me… will I accept and walk in that all sufficient grace?
What is your ‘what if’ concern, or a very real issue that is burdening you?  Run to Jesus and leave it at His feet. He is more than able, He is more than sufficient, He is more than we can imagine!
I’m preaching to myself.
Please pray for us. We’re in a hardship, and it has nothing to do with running water.
In Christ,
Isaac, Rosel and Colton