Today’s post is by my good friend and writing critique partner Kathleen O’Malley-Taylor. Enjoy

When Blessings Come with Unexpected Hardships

By

Kathleen O’Malley-Taylor

“And the rain fell, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat on that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:25 ESV

What happens when God’s blessings come with unexpected hardships? If you’re like me, you question if it was really from God. That’s what I asked myself when I bought my dream house last spring and financial disaster struck.  

Since my divorce, I longed to buy a home with a garden, but it was always beyond my means. That is until I stumbled upon a cottage-like dwelling with pale green shutters and a winding, fairytale-like walkway.  Pushed back from the road, there were woodlands out back where deer, foxes, and other wildlife roamed. 

A gated fifty-five modular home community that had a new roof, and windows and was affordable. I sold my condo, bought the property with cash and for the first time in my life, at sixty-five, I was mortgage-free. Finally, I could pay down my debt and contribute to my retirement savings.   

I created an English Garden out front with potted red and pink geraniums on the porch. My dream garden was now a reality. What a wonderful gift the Lord provided.

One day it rained hard, and the new roof began leaking. Local roofers assessing the problem concluded whoever replaced it was not a professional. Some shingles were pointed in the wrong direction. The rotted wood underneath was never replaced and soft as a sponge. 

As one roofer put it, “If two people stood on the roof they’d fall through into your hallway.” I could hardly catch my breath. This news was devastating.

A new roof was the only solution, but it came with a seventeen-thousand-dollar price tag. As a single woman, my finances were limited. Before discovering the leaky roof, I had already spent a huge sum of money upgrading the house, installing new floors, and painting dark walls a creamy bright white. 

Along with that I was still paying down credit card debt and making car payments. The faucet in the hallway bathroom needed repairing. I thought God had gifted me this house in answer to my prayers, so why this crisis?

I prayed for His direction before its purchase and calculated every expense down to the penny. Then I questioned if I misinterpreted His guidance because it wasn’t the smooth path I anticipated. Isn’t that what blessings are supposed to be?

Then I realized some of our greatest blessings: marriage, parenting, dream jobs, and of course houses come with challenges.  Who was I to think blessings were automatically problem-free?

The story of Noah came to mind.  When the floods came, the Lord didn’t leave him to tread water alone.  He told him to build an ark. I trust He will help me navigate the storms ahead. 

The roofing company has a reasonable payment plan, and I was approved for a raise at work. My home is beautiful and brings me joy every day.

Lord, thank you for showing me that our greatest blessings come with challenges, and you are always with us to meet them.

Kathleen O’Malley-Taylor is a former journalist. Her devotion, “God’s Not Through with You Yet,” was published in The Courage to Write. She writes historical fiction and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.