All Things Work Together for Good

May 1 2023

I was resting one evening when I got a call from my daughter asking me if I still had a key to her house. She advised that she had locked herself out and needed the spare key. I identified a key that might be hers and drove to her house where she and my granddaughter were waiting. I have one granddaughter and she is my favorite granddaughter.

Upon my arrival I observed that they were in the driveway and not inside the garage. Once she found the correct key among several others on the key ring, I started my probe about why they were not inside the garage. She explained that it was not working properly. She had contacted AT&T, who is responsible for her security system and they determined from their visit that it was a matter for the garage door opener company. She had reached out to them and was waiting for an appointment to be scheduled.

While there, I started my own investigation to determine if I might be able to identify and correct the problem. I can be a handyman at times depending on the degree of complexity. As I studied the garage and the power supply, I noticed the light on each side of the garage door that act as sensors for objects in the path of the doorway were not lighted. That made me question if there was power in the garage. I immediately went to the electrical panel box to see if a breaker had been tripped. If so, all that would need to be done is to reset the breaker. I would be my daughter and granddaughter’s hero. None had been tripped.

I asked my daughter to bring me a phone charger to further my investigation. When we plugged it in and connected it to her phone, there was no power! Now the question was why? I had done all I could do and suggested she call an electrician.

She made contact with an electrician a few days later, but found out the charge was $150 just for them to come out. This service fee had to be paid in advance and then they would schedule her sometime within the next two weeks. She happened to be telling one of her coworkers about her plight and he offered to come take a look at it. He had gained some experience about electrical outlets since he had recently assisted his uncle with wiring his basement.

He came over that evening and walked into the garage and pressed a small button on the electrical outlet and power was restored. The button he pressed is known as the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). As the name implies, it cuts off power before it can trigger the circuit breaker. In most homes, especially the newer ones, they have these special outlets where there is water like the kitchen and the bathroom. Quite frankly I never would have thought to look for this safety mechanism in the garage. My daughter’s friend saved her at least $150.00 and maybe even more.

This incident was a good illustration of the Scripture found in Roman’s 8:28, where it says, “All things work together for good”. My daughter misplacing her keys was not good, but it led to my coming to her house and doing the initial trouble shooting. My conclusion that there was no power led her to discussing the situation with her coworker who offered to come by and take a quick look at it. His visit led to the problem being identified and fixed.

Look at how all of this was orchestrated. It all worked together for good. There may be difficult and painful moments in our lives, but in the end, something good comes out of it.

We thank God for the plan He has for us that leads to a future of hope. Don’t miss God being in the small things. He is involved in everything that happens in our lives.