"But I trust in the Master Yah'shua (Lord Jesus)" (Phil.2:19, NKJV).

I was frustrated. Having just got back from shopping in town to find the banks had changed the rules so I could not draw my monthly pension from abroad, I got home to discover that one of my children had completely broken off the arm of the kitchen tap/faucet! I know that with the Mid-Summer's Day Festival here in Sweden at the weekend (which is as popular here as Christmas) that it would almost be impossible to find a plumber to install a new unit. Not only that, but in July Sweden literally goes on vaccation making plumbers even more scarce. And with a geberal shortage of plumbers at the best of times I knew my chances of finding one were scarce.

I thought about how we would do the washing up. With the dishwasher broken months ago, we would have to boil water in the kettle and rinse the dishes for 8 people using the garden hose-pipe brought in through the window. The thought of doing this for a month did not fill me with happiness. So I drove to our former plumber who had installed the tap/faucet about six years ago to have a beef with him and find some way to rig the sink up but he was unable to help. I then rang the solitary village plumber (whom the last time I called to fix our water pump said he was solidly booked for weeks) and left a message on his answering machine, knowing my chances of getting help were practically nil. They'll come out on an emergency visit if you're flooding but not for much else.

As I drove back from the plumber I realised that I had 'lost it' and could not possible preside at our family worship meeting after supper. In my mind I planned that others would pray and perhaps even give the lesson as I felt wholly unqualified, being no longer aligned with the Ruach (Spirit). Zipping down the road faster than I should to let off steam I arrived home even more frustrated than before. 'How on earth could anyone be so careless as to rip off an entire tube of heavy-duty metal?' I thought to myself?

I ate supper sullen and went to the kitchen resigned to having to arrange the cleaning dishes by garden pipe and kettle. Then I assembled everyone for the family meeting, sat down, and simply surrendered. I said: "Father, this is your house, everything I have is yours, so I am leaving this problem to You to fix. There is nothing else I can do" and went on to pray and teach the day's lesson. I dismissed the meeting and went back to my office.

No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang. It was the over-worked, fully-booked plumber from the village. "Can I come now to do your tap?" he asked. I couldn't believe my ears. I knew he was getting ready to go off on vaccation. Within ½ hour he was here and had installed a new tap/faucet and it was all done well before sundown and the sabbath. My frustration had all been in vain and my emunah (faith) far too weak - well, at least I did surrender it to Yahweh.

So many of our problems remain unresolved because we don't allow Yahweh to be in charge. We have only to surrender and let Him step in. Now I have to surrender the bill!