The home where hubby and I live is built suspended from 6 huge, gigantic pillars.
The former owner was a master cabinet maker, and he built this home for himself and his wife back in the 1980’s. At that time, this particular piece of property was rather boggy due to rainwater from higher elevation draining down across the property toward the valley. Therefore, the former owner decided to build the house completely off the ground, suspended by pillars, to avoid flooding.
Everything about the house was custom built by the former owner for his and his wife’s interests and needs. The laundry room was built upstairs.
That being said … back in the 1980’s high-speed, high-efficiency washers had not been invented yet.
Fast forward 40 years and we now find ourselves in a situation with a high-speed, high-efficiency washer upstairs in our home (which hangs suspended from 6 big pillars).
The washer which came with the house when hubby and I purchased it was old. This old washer quit working a couple of years ago. Hubby and I didn’t think anything about getting a high-speed, high-efficiency washer to replace it, as almost every washer for sale nowadays is high-speed, high-efficiency.
But once the new washer was installed upstairs, we immediately realized this house was not designed or built to have a high-speed washer upstairs. The high-speed spin cycle shook the entire house!
What to do?!?
We didn’t know what to do.
The laundry room had been specifically designed for the upstairs. There was nowhere downstairs to put the washer and dryer.
So, hubby and I just let things be these past two years. Every time the washer has kicked into the spin cycle … the house shakes. The metal picture-print above tv trembles. The flat screen tv trembles. The water in my glass on the dining room table trembles.
Recently, hubby and I decided things could not keep continuing this way! Nothing good could come from this much shaking.
We measured … and pondered … and finally came to the surprising realization that there was actually enough room in the pantry (downstairs) to put the washer and dryer!
We had no idea they would actually fit there.
So that is what we have done.
First, we had to have plumbing installed for the washer. Viola!
Then we had to have electrical outlets with the correct voltage installed.
Then we had to shorten the shelving in the pantry. Voila!
Then perhaps the hardest part of all – actually moving the washer and dryer downstairs. The washer is a beast to move! That thing is massively heavy! But hubby’s buddy sweated and toiled with hubby and together they got it downstairs!
Viola!
Where the washer is now sitting, a major support beam comes down vertically, as well as another major support beam runs horizontally underneath the house.
No more trembling and shaking.
No longer does the metal picture-print above tv tremble when the washer kicks into its spin cycle. No longer does the tv tremble when the washer kicks into its spin cycle. No longer does the water in my glass on the dining room table tremble when the washer kicks into its spin cycle.
There is a lot of “trembling” going on in life all around us!
It might not be trembling of having a high-speed spin cycle kick in, in a house suspended by pillars. But there is a lot in life that can make us tremble!
There is a lot in life that can make us afraid!
The Bible tells us we have an enemy, Satan, who prowls about like a fierce vicious lion seeking to eat us alive! Just like a fierce vicious coyote hot on the trail of newborn deer babies, seeking to devour them … we too have fierce vicious Satanic forces of evil hot on our trail, and hot on the trail of our kids and those whom we dearly love, seeking to devour us! Seeking to destroy us! Seeking to eat us alive!
When we have a very real awareness of this fact – it’s enough to make us afraid!
It’s enough to make us tremble!
We aren’t that strong. We can’t outwit or out-defeat that kind of enemy.
The fierce vicious coyote is faster, more powerful, stronger than the newborn baby deer.
So we tremble!
And we cry out: “God help us! God please help us!”
And God tells us: Do not tremble.
“Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.” – Deuteronomy 20:3
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
God tells us: Do not tremble.
And so we choose, intentionally, not to tremble.
When anxiety is great within us … we chose, intentionally, not to tremble. (Psalm 94:19)
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you, God. In God I trust; I will not be afraid.” – Psalm 56:3-4
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He is my [stable support beam!] I will not tremble or shake.” – Psalm 62:1-2
