You are not alone

Tonight was like any other night. I said goodbye to my roommate as she stepped out for a night with her friends. I then decided it was my time to get ready myself, so I took my robe and towel and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower. Those who know me know that the shower/bathroom area is not my favorite place. I am sort of a freak about the tiniest strand of hair anywhere but on someone’s head… so I try to make all showering and bathroom duties short and sweet. I shut the door behind me and proceeded with my quick task hoping to be able to have a little down time before I had to leave for the evening.

 I stepped out of the shower and wrapped up tight in my robe to keep warm. Grabbed all of my stuff and reached for the handle to let myself out of the, what was now, a steam room…But the door would not open? I twisted and pulled once again, and still nothing. I could feel my heart starting to race, I started to break a sweat, and anxiety started to take over my body. I was locked in the bathroom…stuck, trapped, oh Great! Ok so I have to admit I started to hyperventilate. It was so hot in the bathroom and my roommate wasn’t due back for a few hours, I was alone. For how long? 5 minutes? 5 Hours!!! What do I DO!????? I immediately began to take deep breaths. I could not pass out in the bathroom (first of all I couldn’t bear the thought of laying on the bathroom floor) and second of all, if I passed out, how would anyone know I was locked in if they came home!?!?

"Ok, deep breaths, deep breaths...maybe I could pull a McGuiver and pick the doorknob open! YA!" It’s worth a try right? I mean, seriously, what else was I going to do? I found a few bobby pins in my drawer and began to pick at the knob of the door. By the looks of my reflection in the mirror, it APPEARED that I knew what I was trying to do, but that theory was quickly shut down once the bobby pin split into two pieces and crumbled at my bare feet.

 What I really needed were tools, a screwdriver would be my best bet! "Yes a screwdriver would do the trick!" Maybe there was one in the bathroom!? Hey, you never know? I quickly rummaged through the medicine cabinet and then the 2 drawers, found nothing. 

Well, how about taking the hinges off the door? I could just go out the other side! So I began to take the hinges off with my bare hands. The first one came off with ease! Yes, this was going to be so easy, I started to smile…The second one was a little tough but I finally managed to pull it out. I began to sing praises to myself; I was a real life handy-woman. I could take apart a door and get myself out of a locked room! What a story this is going to make! I felt like my own personal hero! Then the third hinge…well that was another story. It was stuck, no not stuck; it was RUSTED to the frame. There was no way I could do this…but before I let myself get defeated I remembered a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the bottom of my cabinet, maybe that would help the rust? Worth a shot! So I dumped as much as I could on the hinge, and guess what, IT WORKED!!! Amazing! I got the last hinge off! My praises returned and I felt like I was soaring in the clouds, I’m so smart!

...but wait? Nothing was happening? I pulled the door, tugged at the handle, but nothing? WHAT DID I EVEN DO?!? I was still stuck! So I started to pace...and pace...and worry..and then I could feel my heartbeat begin to pick up again…

 “I’m going to be stuck in here all night long. I’m all alone, I have no one to save me, I am stuck..."

 Just then it occurred to me. “Wait, I’m not alone? I’m not stuck. I’m in here for a reason.” I didn’t know why? But maybe God did..?
 
I walked over to the wall shelf above the toilet and pulled open the tiny drawer. I saw a red handle attached to a long silver rod with a cross on the end of it. A screwdriver. I tiny screwdriver in that tiny drawer. It was like it appeared out of thin air. I can’t tell you the feeling I got when I pulled that out of the drawer. God must have been smiling down as he saw my faith for him grow by the obvious answered prayer.
I encourage you to ask God to show himself to you. It may be in some silly way like having a screwdriver show up when you needed it, or he could move in some big way in your life. Either way, He is there and He is always watching over you.
I encourage you to ask God to show himself to you. It may be in some silly way like having a screwdriver show up when you needed it, or he could move in some big way in your life. Either way, He is there and He is always watching over you.

"God, please help me get out of here, I’m scared, it sounds so silly but I’m scared of being alone, please help me get out of here" My mind stopped racing and my breathing started to steady out to its normal rhythms. I was going to be fine. "God please if you could just make a screwdriver appear out of thin air that would really really help me right now! Please God I know you can help me, and I know you are here, just show me that you are going to lead me out of this silly mess"

After another deep breath I decided to look again for a screwdriver. “What was the harm in looking,” I thought. Nothing in the medicine cabinet again, and nothing in the drawers. Well, this is hopeless. I slumped down on the edge of the bathtub to wait. There was only one place I didn’t look , but it was just a small wall shelf, so it didn’t really phase me to check, but I felt a little nudge in my heart.. The shelf was decorated with flowers and ribbon and had a tiny drawer attached to it where we used to keep a bar of soap. No screwdriver would be in there anyway, it was too small! I decided to just look inside and see, just so I could say I sincerely looked everywhere.

 I ran over to the door knob, still in disbelief, I started to cry because I was in such awe of what had just happened. I unscrewed the jammed doorknob and the door opened swung open. About 30 seconds after I got the door open, my other roommate came home.

What a crazy experience? How amazing is God that he can use the tiniest thing in someone’s life, good or bad, and create an amazing story of faith out of it. 

Never forget that you are not alone, and you are never stuck. He is always with you, He will always save you. 

“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