Finding Forte in Flooding
On the second night living in our new house, Nick and I noticed a small amount of water leaking from our toilet. Filled with the fresh vigor of newly purchasing our home, we were determined to fix the problem ourselves. Nick removed one of the water lines, but in the process a seal burst, and within a few seconds water was flooding the bathroom and out into the hallway. In a mad frenzy, we threw every absorbent material we owned onto the bathroom floor until, finally, one of us had the genius idea to turn off the main water supply to the house. I ran downstairs trying to remember everything we learned in our home inspection and, in a moment of triumph, found a hidden shut-off. I came back up the stairs yelling, “I found it! Is the water off?!’ To my dismay, Nick hollered back, “No!”
As it turned out, I had turned off the main gas line.
Eventually, we found the master shut-off for the water, and the flooding stopped, but not before the water had come down from our main floor bathroom through the drop ceiling and into the basement below. What began as a minor leak in our toilet became a non-functioning toilet and significant water damage.
Thankfully we had a fantastic friend who came over right away. He — being far more competent than us — quickly identified the problem, knew how to fix it, and got everything back into working order. If only we’d called him in the first place . . .
Now, this story is embarrassing for both Nick and me as it shows our clear lack of handiness, but that’s not why I tell it. This story highlights that every one of us is gifted in different ways, and when you identify and use your gifts, they become a blessing to others and bring glory to God. If we didn’t have a friend, who was a gifted plumber, we would have been in a much worse situation. And if we had just called him before trying to operate outside of our gifting, we would have saved ourselves a lot of time and trouble.
The whole toilet debacle reminds me of Romans 1:11–12, where Paul writes, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you – that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.”
We each have God-given gifts that are unique to us and are designed to encourage and strengthen our brothers’ and sisters’ faith, to serve the church, and to bless the world. As such, we must take inventory of the skills and talents that God has given us, and we train ourselves to recognize and celebrate the giftings of others.
Here are three questions to help you take inventory of your giftings, evaluate how to use them for the edification of the church, and to acknowledge the unique giftings of others.
What are you best at? Perhaps you are an excellent cook, writer, listener, or are incredibly organized.
When you hear of someone in need, what is your knee-jerk reaction on how you might help them?
In what ways do your friends help when you’re in need?
Romans 1 says that when we use our gifts, we encourage one another in our common faith. That is a wonderful thing. God is gracious to use us in his kingdom and has gifted you in specific ways for his good purposes. When you use your giftings, you truly build up your brothers and sisters in Christ. If the Aufenkamp Toilet Fiasco of 2017 has anything to teach us, it’s this: God has gifted us in unique ways to strengthen and encourage our faith and the faith of those around us.