10/28/2026
On August 22, St. John member Jennifer Dobbs’ morning took an unexpected turn when her daughter, Kaylee, noticed dark brown spots on her carpet after their dog jumped onto her bed with wet feet. Kaylee called for her mom, who discovered water coming from the bathroom. They shut off the toilet’s water supply and began soaking up the water with towels. Jennifer’s mother arrived with a shop vac, and Jennifer used her carpet shampooer to pull up as much water as possible.
After two hours, Jennifer felt overwhelmed. She cried, then turned to Facebook and found a recommended contractor. When she called, he jumped into action and encouraged her to go into a dark room and pray. Jennifer knew she had found the help she needed.
As the family emptied the girls’ rooms for remediation, Jennifer remembered something else. That evening, Kaylee’s TV had malfunctioned and wouldn’t turn off. She tried to unplug it but couldn’t loosen the cord. Jennifer realized that if Kaylee had succeeded, a live electrical cord could have been lying in the water. God’s protection.
In the days that followed, Jennifer cried, prayed and even yelled at God. She couldn’t understand why He was allowing this to happen. But she also began to see reasons to be thankful. Just weeks earlier, the family had discussed replacing the flooring in the girls’ rooms. Jennifer had also promised her oldest daughter new furniture the year before, but other expenses kept pushing it aside. Now, in a situation she never would have chosen, those plans were becoming reality.
“I thanked God for pushing me,” Jennifer says. “He pushed me to do everything and found a way to make everything happen plus more.”
That Sunday, Jennifer and her family worshiped at St. John, where Seth happened to be preaching on lament. In the middle of her questions, tears and frustration, the Lord’s message met her right where she was.
We may not always understand what God is doing, but Jennifer’s experience reminds us that we can bring Him our grief, anger and questions while still looking for His presence. Sometimes, we don’t see the whole picture until later. Even in the mess, God is at work.
